Life is Strange
by Miss Yaoi Hands
Summary: The stress of schoolwork and keeping good grades was one thing. Falling in love and making friends is a whole new kind of strange. It is going to be a long school year for Quinn. College AU. Talon/Quinn focused. Multiple pairings including Lux/Darius, Jhin/Jinx, and Zed/Syndra.
1. Chapter 1

" _The extreme always seems to make an impression."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter One: It's A Small, Small Campus

* * *

The cold autumn air chilled the students down to the bone no matter how thick their sweaters were, alerting them that winter was just a few months away. Golden-brown and bright red leaves fell from trees onto the black asphalt of the street. The street was slick from the rain that had breezed through the state, leaving the sky a gloomy grey color. The noise of students and their clingy parents was in the air. It was starting to feel like the beginning of a new school year.

Quinn, a young woman from out of county, drove into the parking lot in her old, cramped car. She halted her car to let the students run across the street to the sidewalk. The aspiring artist took the opportunity to glance over the the school she would be in for the next four years— Valoran University. The sidewalk in front of the university was crowded with new and returning students moving onto the campus. Their hands were full of books, suitcases, and Quinn swore she saw a mini-refrigerator being carried over someone's shoulders.

 _Is that even allowed_?

Valoran University certainly looked huge to the young woman. It had two large statues of eagles at its entrance. Her eyes spotted tall buildings following behind it— she assumed they were class halls, libraries, and other academic structures. Quinn then spotted a notice poster attached to a bright orange traffic cone. Her golden eyes squinted as she attempted to read it.

"Dorms are assigned. Check the school website or dorm lobbies for further information," Quinn read aloud. She sighed, "Great. Well, I'm glad I memorized the campus map."

The school wasn't known for just one thing like all the other universities— it was an all around school. For example, the University of Piltover was known for its sciences while Noxus Capital University had its sports program. Valoran University was the best academic place in all of Runeterra— not to mention it was the most expensive. There was two ways students usually got into this school, either you have a rich family or you get a scholarship. Quinn was fortunate enough to win an photo contest to get into the school's art program. Quinn remembered the day she got the letter saying that she got accepted into the school. Her mother had stormed into her room with the open letter in her hands and tears in her eyes. They were both so excited they began packing a month before the school year even started.

Quinn snapped out of her thoughts when a car behind her honked for her to get a move on. She quickly turned into an open parking space before practically punching her old car to a halt. It groaned and sputtered while it finally shut off. Quinn shook her head— she knew the cold air and the snow that was soon to come would eventually put her car out of commission. He mother had offered to buy her a used one that at least a decade younger than the one she owned but Quinn declined.

Money had been tight ever since her twin brother, Caleb, met his untimely death three years ago.

Quinn and Caleb had been out driving late one summer night right after he got his license. The young woman's brother wagered that he could beat an intersection light before it turned red— what he didn't count on was a drunk driver thinking the exact same thing. Quinn didn't recall what had happened those few seconds between the two cars crashing and seeing her brother's body on the hood of the other car. She was just thankful she had worn her seatbelt that night.

Caleb's death strained her father and mother's marriage to the point where Quinn's mother filed for divorce. She left the Capital City of Demacia to a small suburban town near the outskirts of Demacia with her daughter. Quinn's father didn't object to his ex-wife's choice— and Quinn resented him for not even saying goodbye. Although, he did send presents on every Christmas and her birthday.

Quinn let out a slow sigh, glancing up at the photo of her and her brother peeking out from under the sun visor. She slowly pulled it out and brought it close to her face— she remembered when this picture was taken very vividly. It was taken on their birthday when they were young and still in grade school. Their parents had taken them out to the zoo. The twins had always shared a love for animals— Quinn loved birds in particular while her brother had a fascination for big cats. Quinn smiled at her and Caleb both excitedly pointing to a sleeping lion in the background of the photo.

The young woman shook her head, realizing that she had spent too much time thinking about the past. Quinn stuffed the old photo into her jacket's inner pocket before she kicked her door open. She walked around to her trunk, giving it a few hard pounds before it finally popped open. This trick she figured out when she accidently shut the trunk with her keys trapped inside. Quinn got so frustrated that she smacked her hands on the ancient car, opening the trunk.

Quinn groaned as she threw a heavy navy-colored backpack over her shoulders. She looked down at her belongings with a long frown. The young woman didn't bring a lot of things but she knew she would have to make at least two trips to get everything into her new dorm. Her attention was pulled away from her trunk when an expensive-looking white car rode up next to her mess of a vehicle. Loud pop music could be heard from outside the car until it was shut off. Out of the car hopped a smiling blonde girl still singing along to the song that had been playing. She noticed that Quinn was looking at her and she shot her a warm smile.

"Are you a first year too?" The young blonde asked, walking over to her own trunk.

"Yes," Quinn stepped over and extended a hand to her, "I'm Quinn."

"Hi Quinn, I'm Luxanna Crownguard but you can just call me Lux." The blonde shook Quinn's hand happily, "Do you happen to know where dorm sign-ups are at?"

"Yeah, they are in that building over there. Although, I read back there that dorms were already assigned. We have to go to the lobbies in the buildings to see where we are going to be staying." Quinn answered, pointing to a cluster of buildings with people coming in and out just across from them. Lux giggled, bumping herself on the forehead.

"Sometimes the world the just answers my questions, you know?" Lux pulled a rolling suitcase and a matching golden-bronze shoulder bag from her trunk, "We are going the same way. Do you want to walk together?"

"Sure," Quinn smiled back at her. The navy-haired woman yanked out another bag from her car. Her lips smacked when she saw that she had only one bag left to carry— it was going to be a pain just to come back for such a light bag.

"Here, let me get that." Lux said, grabbing the brown straps. "What's in here? It's not heavy at all."

"It's my camera." Quinn answered before slamming her trunk shut. She walked over and closed Lux's but not as roughly as she did her own. The young woman walked over to the driver's side of her junker, locking it. She groaned when she noticed that she had left her favorite thermal cup inside and she slammed her fist against the door.

"Oh, are you majoring in photography?" Lux asked, walking over to Quinn while she flipped through her keys.

"No, it's just a hobby. I'm going to major in art—drawing most likely. Why do I have so many keys..."

"Whoa, that sounds fun!" Lux giggled, "A lot more fun than my major."

"What are you majoring in?" The navy-hair woman asked, sighing contently when she found the key to unlock her door. She reached inside her car and grabbed her thermal cup with her favorite character from her favorite fairytale, Lamb from the story of Lamb and Wolf. They were the embodiment of death. Lamb was the peaceful side of death and would end your life quickly if you allowed her. Wolf, on the other hand, chased those who ran from their fate. Deep down inside, Quinn believed that their story was more than just a fairytale.

"I'm majoring in chemistry." Lux answered, "I've always been fascinated with how chemicals react and why they do. As a child, I knew that stars weren't far away lands like in stories but I knew they were a burning ball of elements. I wanted to know _why_."

"Before you made it seem like you didn't want to major in chemistry." Quinn chuckled while she locked her car door for the second time.

She turned to begin walking to the buildings where the dorms were located. As Quinn looked up at the two buildings, she noticed they were very tall. They had to be at least ten stories high. She assumed they needed a lot of dorm space for a campus this big. Valoran University as the biggest school in Runeterra— Quinn read online that the number of students enrolled this year was close to 40,000. Although, she also assumed most students would be commuting from home too. The university was smacked right in the middle of Demacia and Noxus. Quinn also read that the rivalry between the two counties was nothing to laugh at.

"Oh, haha, I meant that in art you can create things people will enjoy." The blonde laughed while she followed behind Quinn.

"You could always have fun knowing that when you find a new chemical reaction, teens back in high school will be forced to remember it." The navy-haired girl smiled, "I know all the components in amino acids but I can barely remember how long to cook certain pastas."

"I never thought about that," Lux snorted, quickly covering her nose when it escaped. Quinn looked back at her, making the two girls laugh again.

As they approached the sidewalk, they followed a group of people into the building and flooded the dorm's lobby. It was very noisy, the navy-haired young woman could barely hear herself think. Quinn noticed a very tall young man jump on top of a table. He had a megaphone in one hand and a large stack of papers in the other. He blared the megaphone loudly, making everyone clasp their hands over their ears. The young man then raised it to his lips.

"Order, please! Dorms have already been assigned and you can see where you are going to be living on the walls around the room. If you need one, I have campus maps right here." He called out. The rowdy crowd of students dispersed to the walls around the room.

"Hey, that's my older brother!" Lux smiled, "Garen!" The young man looked around to where he heard his name being called. He gave a hearty laugh when he spotted Lux's bright blonde hair and signature headband in the crowd. Garen hopped off the table and trotted over to his little sister. Quinn saw that the young man was wearing a blue shirt with yellow words saying: Valoran University Associative Student Body.

"Lux, I thought you were going to get lost on your way over here," he joked, tapping his sister's shoulder with his knuckles.

"Garen, I memorized the routes from our home to here when mother and I would drive you to campus." Lux rolled her blue eyes, "Now if you excuse me, I have to go find my room number."

"Actually, I took the liberty of checking to see where it is. It's on floor five and your room number is two. I even know who your roommate is— her name is Quinn." Garen said. Lux and Quinn looked at each other, a smile growing on their faces. The young man looked between the two of them, "I assume you already met her."

"Yup, this is Quinn!"

"Hello," the navy-haired girl waved.

"Where are you from?"

"Demacia," Quinn answered.

"Ah, another fellow Demacian. Good to know that my sister will have a roommate from the best county in Runeterra." Garen laughed, slapping Quinn hard on the back and knocking her backpack off her shoulders. "This isn't a rule in the student handbook but its MY rule for living with my sister. No boys are allowed in your room. Got it?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"I know I could always trust a Demacian," Garen laughed, smacking the shorter girl on the shoulder again.

"Careful, Garen. You don't want the other ASB members to hear you say such things. It's not very nice to us Noxians," the trio of Demacians heard a smart remark from behind them. They turned and saw an intense pair or emerald eye and long, blood-red hair.

"My apologies, Katarina. What are you doing inside? Weren't you assigned to escort the first year on campus tours?"

"Please, the kiddies will remember where everything is when they are ten minutes late to class or when they REALLY need a bathroom. Besides, my little brother needed help moving his things into his new room." Katarina said as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder, "I don't see why he just doesn't stay home we only live a half-hour from here."

"Fair enough," Garen's blue eyes narrowed at his fellow ASB member. "I will get one of the other girls to do the campus tours. In the meantime, you can pass these out to anyone who looks lost." The young man said, handing the stack of maps to Katarina.

"Yeah sure," the redhead scoffed as she swiped the maps from Garen's hand. She gave a nod to the two girls before turning on her heel and making her way out of the building's front door. The two first years looked back at Garen, who had been staring at Katarina's backside.

"Garen?" Lux poked her brother's arm, waking him from his trance.

"Oh, uh, right. Let me take you two ladies to your new room. Let me get that for you," the tall young man said as he took his sister's bag. The blonde followed her sibling to a flight of stairs. Quinn bent down to pick up her backpack when she realized she had forgotten something else back in her car. Lux turned and saw her navy-haired friend walking out the front door.

"Quinn, are you coming?"

"I forgot another bag in my car. It's in the backseat, it totally slipped my mind. Don't worry, I will find our room on my own." Quinn said before walking out.

There was sudden gust of cold wind when Quinn made her way outside. She pulled her dark grey cardigan over her chest while she walked back to the parking lot. The area was a lot more empty— Quinn assumed the students were getting situated in their new dorm rooms or taking a campus tour. The wind was moving the girl's short hair out of place and into her eyes.

She looked down at her pants pockets as she searched them for her car keys, not seeing where she was headed. The young girl then bumped into another student, making her drop her favorite cup. Quinn sighed when she heard the unmistakable sound of plastic cracking. Her golden eyes glared at her now ruined cup, not knowing it would still be able to hold in her morning coffee. She then noticed a pair of black, steel-toed boots in front of her. Her eyes wandered up and met a pair of angry, amber eyes and sharp features.

It was a young man standing in front of her and he looked as if he wanted Quinn dead for bumping into him. The young man had long, dark brown hair and a build that she would certainly find very attractive. But as of right now, she didn't think that at all. If Quinn wasn't so ticked off about her favorite cup shattering, she would have even apologized to him. Their intense gazes remained on each other, neither of them moving an inch.

"Watch where you're going, idiot." He said harshly before walking passed her. Quinn glared back at him and watched him enter the door building that was the opposite of her own.

"At least that asshole isn't in my building," she spat. Quinn picked up her cup and stomped back to the parking lot. The young woman slowed her pace to a stop, glancing over her shoulder. Her golden eyes spotted a figure at the door but she couldn't tell if it was that same boy and she really didn't care. "Hopefully, I don't cross paths with that guy again."

* * *

 _Notes: Hello everyone. I hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter in my newest story. I hope you all stick around, we have a long ride ahead of us. I have a confession to make, I love school AUs. College AUs mostly, there is more freedom than being stuck in high school— just like real life. This story is going to focus mostly on Talon and Quinn but, believe me, there will be many other character too like Lux... Garen... Kat... Darius... Jinx and Jhin... Zed and Syndra c:_

 _I hope you all decide to give me some feedback I'd love to read it and I hope you all have a wonderful day!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	2. Chapter 2

" _My teen-angst bullshit now has a bodycount."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Two: Hot Water on Wool

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Arabella by Arctic Monkeys

Bad Reputation by Joan Jett

Calm Before the Storm by Fall Out Boy

Gives You Hell by All-American Rejects

* * *

"You mean that guy just ran into you and then he didn't even help you back to your feet?" Lux asked, a hint of anger was in her sweet voice.

Quinn sat on her sheetless mattress while she watched her new friend storm around their room, putting her clothes in her drawer. Her golden eyes also looked throughout the room, seeing the mute, white walls made her sleepy. The blonde had mentioned that they should start decorating as soon as possible before Quinn told her about her encounter with the rude amber-eyed boy.

"Well, yes. I'm pretty sure it was me that ran into him. Anyway, I probably won't even see that guy again. There are over forty-thousand students attending this university, Lux. There is no need to get upset over it." The navy-haired girl gave her friend a small grin.

"Oh, I guess you're right. But you have to at least tell me," the blonde's blue eyes brightened when she looked over to her roommate. She hastily threw a white top into her drawer and slammed it closed with her foot. Quinn jumped back when Lux hopped forward, "Was he at least cute?"

"What," Quinn put her hand over her face.

She didn't really think of the boy's appearance until now. The young artist had to admit that she did have a certain interest in guys with long hair. Also, those amber eyes of his were very beautiful but those thoughts were overshadowed by the fact that he was a total jerk. Although, Quinn had to admit what she thought about him aside from that.

"Yes. He was a total hottie."

"Well, don't get caught up on that, Quinn. There are much more cuter and nicer guys walking this campus right now!" Lux cheered as she ran over to get her flats, "You and I should take a walk and scout out the scene. Maybe the campus tour has some cuties."

"I thought you said you wanted to start decorating our room?" Quinn asked, her eyes gesturing to their suitcases and Quinn's box of knickknacks sitting in a box right beside Lux. The blonde didn't even give the box a single glance.

"We could always do that later," the blonde giggled as she checked her hair in the reflection of of smartphone's screen. She whipped open the door and turned to Quinn who was still struggling to get her cardigan back on. "Get a move on, girl!"

"Wait… my arm… won't go in my sleeve."

* * *

Quinn dragged her feet behind the peppy blonde, who was searching around frantically for an ASB member. Their blue shirts were easy to spot in a crowd but she couldn't seem to find any. She raised her hand over eyes, shielding her eyes from the sunlight above them.

"Lux, it's already passed twelve. I think all the members of the ASB are in their own dorms or on their way back home. School doesn't actually start for another week, remember?" The navy-haired girl explained to her friend as she shivered, "Not to mention that it is freezing out here."

The blonde didn't hear her roommate's complaints because she had spotted someone familiar. Lux grabbed Quinn's wrist and pulled her along further onto the campus. Quinn looked around and saw that Lux was leading her into the lounging area in front of school's café. She then spotted two figures sitting within the dimly lit café— it was clearly closed because school was not in session. The two friends hurried inside the warm coffeeshop, Quinn rubbing her arms from the bitter cold that was still nipping at her.

The smell of freshly brewed hot coffee was present in the air. Quinn took in a deep breath, this was indeed one of her favorite scents. The young woman had to admit that she had an addiction to the stuff and this particular brew had something exotic to its smell. Vanilla laced right into the grinds. She would definitely have to come by this café on her own when it was open.

The two mystery people, who Quinn saw were a young lady and a young man, looked over at the door to see who had come in. The woman sitting across from the man had brightly colored magenta hair and she had these menacing eyes— Quinn tried to convince herself it was just her heavy eye make-up. Her golden eyes looked over to the young man, who looked very tall even if he was seated in a chair. He had jet black hair tied into a short ponytail and his face was angular and unshaven— he was very handsome.

"Jarvan! Shyvana! I didn't expect to see you here!" The blonde laughed as ran over to them, throwing her arms around their shoulders. Jarvan chuckled at Shyvana trying to pry the first year off of her. "What are you doing on campus?"

"Your brother texted us to meet him here when he was done with rounding up the kids," Shyvana explained, fixing her magenta-colored hair back into her long ponytail.

"He should be on his way over here right about now," Jarvan added. He turned to look behind him and saw Quinn still standing by the front door. He gave her a rugged smile, "Don't be shy, Lux's friend, come on over!"

Quinn looked over her shoulder as if Jarvan had been speaking to someone else. She blushed slightly before walking over and standing beside Lux.

"Who are you, stranger?"

"I'm Quinn," the navy-haired girl answered.

"I'm Jarvan," he smiled as she reached out to shake Quinn's hand, "And this is my girlfriend, Shyvana."

"Hi, Shyvana." Quinn waved to the woman sitting across from Jarvan. The magenta-haired woman gave her a small nod, her eyes narrowing at Quinn and Jarvan's hands touching. The artist pulled her hand away and Shyvana relaxed when she did so.

"So, why are you two meeting up with my brother?" Lux asked taking a seat beside Shyvana.

"He wanted to get something to eat when he was done with his ASB duties," Jarvan answered before he noticed that Quinn was the only one still standing. "Here, Quinn, take the seat next to me."

"Oh, alright." She said as she sat in the chair Jarvan had pulled out for her. Her golden eyes warily looked up at Shyvana, who was glaring at her.

"So, girls, what are you kids majoring in?" Jarvan asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You know me, I'm majoring in chemistry." Lux giggled, "And don't call us kids just because we are first years. Would you like it if I called you a senior citizen because you are a third year?"

"Sorry, Lux." Jarvan gave a hearty laugh, practically shaking the whole coffee shop. His laugh died down when he glanced over to the navy-haired girl next to him, "What about you, Quinn?"

"She's an art major!"

"Really? What do you plan on doing with it?"

"I'm not sure really… still kind of deciding," Quinn shrugged.

"You know, my father is always telling me there are always career opening for courtroom sketch artists. Uh, he is an attorney," Jarvan explained. "When I become one just like him, I would hire you."

"That's really nice but… I don't think sitting in a tense courtroom is for me. I think it would be hard to focus on drawing when you're listening to how someone committed a murder."

"Yes, I do think that would be rather distracting," the young man said as he scratched his chin. He snapped out of his thought and shot the girl a smile, "But you should still think about it."

The group of students looked over to the door when they heard it open. Standing in the doorway out of breath was Garen. Jarvan got out of his seat and walked over to him, both of them exchanging a complicated looking handshake.

"Are you alright?" Jarvan asked him.

"You won't believe who I just saw."

"Was it that redhead you've been crushing on since high school?" Shyvana teased, earning a half-blush half-glare from Garen.

"Well of course I did, she and I are a part of the ASB staff. Although, that is not who I was talking about." Garen paused slightly, everyone could tell he was in a bad mood. "I saw Darius. He was moving into a dorm. His brother is here too."

"What? I thought they were both attending Noxus Capital University?"

"You all know how Darius is the ' _greatest_ ' basketball player in all of Runeterra? Averaging over eighty points a game? World record holder for most slam dunks in a single game?" Garen rolled his eyes as he listed of the Noxian's accomplishments, "Apparently, the story is that he was _bought_."

" _Bought_?" The two third years in the room repeated.

"Yes," Garen growled, "The coach of our school's basketball team convinced the head of the sports program to buy Darius from NCU. With him on our team, we would win any matchup."

"How much did they pay for that asshole?" Shyvana asked.

"Over ten million dollars," Garen shook his head. "The coach's logic was that with winning every tournament we will get more funds for the sports program, thus Darius pays for himself."

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Doesn't he know that no one would fund us when everyone finds out that Darius is the biggest jerkwad in the world?" Shyvana asked, brushing her magenta bangs behind her ear.

"Who is Darius?" Quinn whispered to Lux.

"He and my brother have had a long history," the blonde answered.

"Darius is Garen's rival if you really look at it. The two of them were on their high school's football team. It was a inferno on the field whenever they faced each other. But Darius found his true calling in basketball," Jarvan added.

"Not to mention Darius dated Katarina just to spite our big friend over here," Shyvana chuckled.

"She won't be happy when she finds out that he's here. I don't think she would get over what he did to—"

"Let's leave the past in the past," Garen interrupted Lux. He shook his head clear of his emotions, "I think I need to eat something. Why don't we go to town? I feel like having Ionian grilled chicken."

The three third years made their way towards the door, Lux and Quinn. They exited the café with Shyvana locking the door after everyone was outside. Quinn watched her shove her keys back in her pocket. The magenta-haired woman noticed her staring and she looked over at her.

"What?" She growled.

"You run this café?"

"No, I'm the manager this semester. It's one of my major's _perks_." She replied before walking over to Jarvan, wrapping her arm around his.

"What's your—"

"Don't ask," Lux stopped her friend. "No one knows what her major is. She keeps it a secret from everyone, only Jarvan knows. Although, I don't know why."

"So, what are you girls going to do now?" Jarvan asked with a smile. Lux glanced at the time on her smartphone and shrugged.

"It's only 12:35," the blonde glanced to her friend, "Do you want to go get something from—"

"Well, look what the cat coughed up," a very loud, very obnoxious voice jeered. The students looked over their shoulder and saw two tall men walking over to them.

The largest of the two had spiked, black hair and tribal-style tattoos going down his muscular arms. His size was very comparable to Garen— strong, tall, and… handsome? The shorter man next to him had long brown hair and a jagged grin. Quinn did think long hair was attractive but not on this guy.

"Who are those—" Quinn began to whisper to Lux but stopped when she saw her friend looking at the men with a shocked expression. She waved her hand in front of the blonde's eyes, unable to snap her out of her trance, "Lux?"

"So, where are you Demacian scum headed?" The tallest man asked with a smirk.

"Why do you care, Darius? Shouldn't you be off shoving a basketball up your—"

"Shyvana…" Jarvan stopped his girlfriend from saying something she would regret. He looked back at the two Noxians, "We were just leaving."

Quinn looked up at Garen, whose eyes were daggers on his rival, and Darius noticed. He walked over to him, poking him hard on the yellow letters of her shirt.

"You're an ASB member. We're new students. Shouldn't you be showing us around?"

"I've been relieved of my shift. If you want help, go to the building just over there. I'm sure there would be someone there willing to assist you." Garen tried his hardest not to be rude to the man inches for his face. Darius gave a small chuckle as he took his finger out of Garen's chest.

"Actually, I don't care anymore. All I really need to know is where the gymnasium is. You know, because I'm your newest star?" Darius took a few steps back but never took his eyes off of Garen. "Let's go, Draven."

Just like that, they were gone as fast as they came. Quinn looked around to the third years, who were still glaring at the two Noxians. She glanced back to Lux and she too was still stuck in her trance. The navy-haired girl snapped her fingers in front of her eyes, waking her.

"Huh?!" Lux shook her head, "Was I staring?"

"A little bit," Quinn chuckled lightly.

"God, what is that guy's problem?" Shyvana spat.

"Who cares. Noxians always have that kind of attitude. Come on, let's get out of here. I'm starving." Jarvan said as he wrapped his arm around Shyvana and they slowly walked on. Garen turned to his sister and Quinn, signing.

"Try and steer clear of those two guys. They're bad news," He warned. "You two should head back up to your dorm room."

* * *

"Lux, you've been quiet the whole walk over here. Are you okay," Quinn asked, locking their door. She took off her cardigan and watched her friend sit in the edge of her bed with a blank expression.

"I'm confused," she replied as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. She took her headband off and laid flat on the sheetless mattress. Quinn walked over to sit beside her, patting her shoulder.

"What are you confused about?"

"I have these feelings. I've been hiding them for a while."

"You're going to need to explain."

"I'm in love, Quinn!" Lux shot up, scaring her friend. "I've been in love with Darius since high school!"

"W-What? I thought you all hated that guy?"

"Just my brother, Jarvan, and Shyvana. Not me." Lux sighed, dropping her face into her hands. "When I was a freshman, Darius and my brother were seniors and deep into their heated rivalry with football.

I would never go to my brother's games because I was so busy with my advanced placement class work. But when the last game of the season came, which was Demacia High and Noxus Capital High, I would always go. Not because it was the last game, I went went because I wanted to see Darius. Later that year, there was a rumor that Darius had gotten onto his high school's basketball team. I went disguised to one of his games… he was great. I went to every game after that, even the Runeterra-wide championship."

"I don't mean to be insensitive but why would you like a jerk like that?" Quinn asked, her nose scrunching up in disgust.

"Have you seen him? He is so tall, so muscular, so handsome!" Lux squealed.

"Do you think liking him has something to do with him and Garen hating each other? Maybe you want him as a certain type of rebellion?" Quinn smirked when the blonde ceased her noise making.

"N-No!" Lux's shouted, her face turning a blazing red.

"I'm just pulling your leg," Quinn laughed. "Why don't you and I get started on decorating our new room to take our minds off these dumb boys," the navy-haired girl said as she got up to grab her box of knick knacks. Lux let out a low sigh before stood. She watched Quinn pull things like framed photographs, stacks of books, and rolled up posters.

"Hey, Quinn?" Lux rubbed her arm in embarrassment, "Do mind if we kept this little conversation between us?"

"Of course. You and I are friends, Lux." The artist relied with a huge grin, "Would you be alright if I put up some of my favorite movie posters up? They are a bit odd."

"Only if you don't mind me hanging up this," Lux giggled as she unrolled a poster with a blonde animated character with a crescent moon on her forehead. Quinn took a second before she recognized the famous anime character and she laughed along with her blonde friend.

* * *

 _Notes: What is Shyvana's major? I don't know, I didn't want to ask her. Bad things happen to people who ask... Also, damn Lux is into Sailor Moon, who would have guessed. One more thing, Dunkmaster Darius is best Darius._

 _Thank you all for your feedback. I was so happy to read all your reviews and PMs. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the songs I put along with it— they tie into the chapters c:_

 _See you next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

_"Dreadful etiquette, I apologize."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Three: I Wonder How They See Me?

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Each and Everyday by Best Coast

Dumb Dumb by Red Velvet

* * *

 _That Very Next Day_

"You're side is starting look very nice, Quinn. It looks a lot like you," Lux giggled as she examined her friends side of the room.

Quinn had every square once of her wall covered in cult-classic movie posters, most of them being almost decades older than herself. She also had a few pieces of her own art pinned to the wall. The centerpiece of it all was a framed photograph Quinn had taken herself. Lux's blue eyes squinted at the photo of a forest with two large white and dark grey distorted circles in the middle. The blonde walked over to examine it more closely. It was just a picture but somehow it made her feel a bit weird.

"What happened to this picture?"

"Huh," Quinn mumbled with a piece of tape between her teeth. She saw her roommate staring curiously at her photo. Quinn pressed the piece of tape on a corner of another poster, "Oh, I caught _them_ but their magic must have warped the photo. I guess they don't want to be seen."

"Caught who," Lux asked, her eyes still glued to the photograph. She blinked when she thought she saw the dark grey orb move slightly.

" _Kindred_ ," the navy-haired girl replied calmly. "There is a forest by my hometown. I was walking through it, intending to take pictures of the wildlife, but I saw them."

"You mean the lamb and wolf spirits from that one fairytale? Are you sure you saw _them_?" Lux looked at her friend with a confused expression, "You know what that means when you see them, right?"

"Yes, whoever sees Kindred is close to death." Quinn took a step back and glanced down at herself, "It was over a year ago and… I think I look okay, don't you?"

"Yeah but," the blonde started but waved the thoughts away with her hand. She hopped back over to her side of the room, "How does my side look?"

Quinn turned and saw that Lux's wall was covered in mostly pink colors. There were numerous posters of the same anime girl with the crescent moon on her forehead and Lux even had a few figurines of her on her nightstand. The navy-haired girl stepped forward, looking over each thing before she chuckled.

"It screams ' _Lux_ '."

"You think so? I'm so glad my mom dropped by to bring me more of my stuff to decorate with." The blonde giggled, "What time is it?"

"Uh," Quinn looked over to the hanging clock they had over their door. She couldn't help but crack a smile at the fact it was Lux's anime girl clock, "A little after four. Why?"

"All that decorating has made me hungry. I think I am about done anyway. Do you think they have some snacks in the lobby like in the vending machines?"

"We could always go look." Quinn replied, grabbing her cardigan. She followed the bouncing blonde outside into the quiet hallway.

* * *

"You cannot be serious," Lux frowned as she saw a row of empty vending machines with notices that read: _machines out of service until semesters begins_. She turned and looked at Quinn, who was trying to get a peek into the soda machine but it was completely empty. No Dr. Doran's. No Zeke's Pop. Nothing.

"What do you want to do now, Lux?" The navy-haired girl asked, stepping over to the next machine to look in.

Lux walked over to a bulletin board with numerous fliers advertising different things such as joining upcoming clubs and getting textbooks before classes begin. She looked under each of them until she pulled a frayed, yellowish paper from under the mess. The blonde pulled out her smartphone and tapped faster than Quinn could keep up with what she was doing. Lux smiled as she folded the flyer and put it in her purse.

"Do you want to make a trip to town?"

* * *

"I honestly wouldn't mind if my brother did get with Katarina. I know that Garen has a really big crush on her, that much obvious. But I could never tell if she felt the same way. She is very hard to read when she is always wearing that smug grin," Lux shrugged while she searched for the road they were supposed to turn onto soon. "What does my GPS say, Quinn?"

The girls had decided that since their dorm had been lacking in snacks they would go to town and buy their own. Quinn looked down at Lux's phone, squiting at all the weird and unnecessary coordinates that had appeared. She zoomed on the street they had been driving on and the next left was a big red dot, indicating that their destination was close.

"You want to take a left on Rylai's Street," Quinn pointed to the upcoming street. Lux, taken by surprise, swerved into the lane next lane. Quinn clutched her seat as Lux laughed.

"Ah, here is the shopping square!" The blonde smiled.

"I get that the street was totally empty," Quinn started as she fixed her hair, "But that was very dangerous, Lux."

Quinn never mentioned to Lux about her fear of fast driving or what happened to her brother Caleb either. After all, the first thing you tell your roommate shouldn't be how your twin died in a car accident. Although, she did tell the blonde things about Caleb from when he was alive.

The girls pulled up into a somewhat empty parking space. Quinn looked at the time on Lux's smartphone and saw that it was almost six— did they really drive for a whole hour? The sun was still in the sky but it would most likely be gone soon. She handed the pink-cased phone back to her friend when they stepped onto the sidewalk. The navy-haired girl looked up to the store in front of them.

" _Du Couteau's Market,_ " she said aloud. "Is this the place?"

"Yeah! Although, I can't put my finger on it, but Du Couteau sounds so familiar." Lux replied, walking over to get a black shopping cart, "Get anything you want. I'm buying."

"I did bring my own cash. Are you sure?" Quinn asked as she followed the blonde through the sliding doors. The store looked smaller from the outside but inside Quinn could easily get lost in here. The young Demacian was already hit with the smell of fresh bread from the bakery and the scent of flowers from the florist.

"Save it. My mother gave me a few hundred when she came by. So get whatever you can fit in a basket," Lux giggled.

"Well, I guess I do need some coffee…"

"Get a coffee maker, too!" The blonde put one foot on the bottom cage of the cart and zoomed down to the first aisle she saw.

"Hey!" A loud, irritated voice shouted. Lux halted her shopping cart before it knocked down a pyramid of brightly colored cereal boxes. The two girls turned in the direction of where the voice came from and they saw Katarina standing behind a cash register. She put her hands on her wide hips, "That's not a toy, Crownguard. Use it like an adult."

"Sorry, Katarina," Lux blushed. She was quiet for a few seconds until she let out a gasp, making Quinn jump. The blonde ran over to the Noxian, leaving her cart in the middle of the walkway. "You're last name is Du Couteau, isn't it!"

"I'm glad you're not just a pretty face," Katarina scoffed as she patted Lux's cheek.

"So, you're family owns this place?" Quinn asked as she joined the two young ladies by the cash register, "Lux found a flyer to this store on a bulletin board in our dorm lobby.

"Yes, it's my father's store." The redhead said proudly, "He made me manager while he is out on a business trip. So if you need anything, ask me or the other employees walking around— I know they would be willing to help."

"Uh, alright, do you sell coffee makers here?"

"On aisle four," Katarina replied as she pointed to it. "You'll find all kinds of coffee blends in the same place as well as our own store brand blend—it's the best."

"Thanks, I'll take a look." Quinn nodded as she turned to walk away.

"Also," Katarina's voice stopped her, "My father hires new meat every winter break. Think about joining the Du Couteau family."

"We will," Lux giggled as she grabbed her friend by her forearm, "Get to shopping, Quinn! I want to get back to campus before we have to get to bed!"

The navy-haired girl watched her friend dash right down to the aisle that had a sign over it that read: _Candy and Chips_. Quinn lightly shook her head while she chuckled. She turned around and began walking towards aisle four.

The aisle was very long and it smelled like heaven when she turned into it. Quinn shut her eyes as she took a deep breath of the lovely aromas of vanilla, hazelnut, and others. Her golden eyes fluttered open and surveyed the tall shelves. Her hand hovered over name brands she knew and then over the Du Couteau blend. She bit her lip as she decided on which to take. Just then, she heard footsteps.

Quinn's golden eyes widened as she recognized the young man that walked into the aisle. He carried a box under one arm and a price gun in his other hand. His long hair was tied back and he was in a black uniform. He was very focused on the task in front of him, gunning prices and then slapping a new sticker under the matching products. Just then, he felt someone staring at him. The young man turned slightly and saw the young Demacian. His amber eyes narrowed at her while he reluctantly got to his feet.

"Do you need any… help, miss?" He asked, slipping his price gun into his back pocket. Quinn looked down to the nametag he had pinned to the right side of his black shirt— his name was Talon.

"U-Um," Quinn stammered, "Yes. I'm trying to find some coffee…" Talon's thick brow raised up at her, his eyes glancing over to the bags of coffee the girl was standing in front of.

"Have you tried looking to your left?" He asked while he pointed.

"That's not what I meant. I mean do you know which one I should buy," the Demacian saved herself. Talon rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Obviously, all coffee is the same. So, my best answer is buying the cheapest one," Talon sighed and pulled out his price gun. He scanned over three name brands and the store original. After a few seconds, his price gun beeped. He looked down, "The Du Couteau coffee is four dollars and thirty-nine cents cheaper than these three right here."

Talon handed the Demacian the silver bag before he turned to go back to stocking shelves. Quinn glanced down at the bag of coffee and reached over to gather five more. She turned her attention back to the smug young man, her eyes rolling.

"Do you sell thermal coffee cups here, too? Some jackass ran into me yesterday and shattered one side of the cup I do have." Quinn smirked when the young man stopped midway of placing a sticker on the shelf. He glared at her from the corner of his amber eyes.

"Maybe he wouldn't have ran into you if you were looking where you were going," the Noxian shot back.

"Excuse me for looking for my keys," Quinn stomped over to him. Talon bit his lip in anger when he got back to his feet. He stood a few inches over the Demacian. "You could have at least apologized."

"I'd rather swallow knives," Talon growled.

The two glared at each other for what felt like an eternity. They were inches from the other. Quinn took the advantage of memorizing the shape of the Noxian's face, the way his nose crinkled, and the way he smelled. Although she didn't want to admit it, but Quinn liked all of it. As she continued to stare, Talon's brow cocked up in confusion.

"Quinn," a cheerful voice shouted from behind the young Demacian— it was Lux.

Suddenly, Quinn felt the blonde's cart run into her backside, making her bump into Talon. She clutched onto his black shirt and she felt him grab her arms. The two stared back at each other again but instead of glares they wore shocked expressions. Talon growled as he pushed the girl back to her feet.

"Oh, whoops, sorry." Lux giggled when Quinn flipped around to look at her. She looked down at her basket that was packed to the top with candy, sodas, and chips— no actual food.

"Lux, don't you want to get like something like, I don't know… healthy?"

"I couldn't find anything I wanted," the blonde lied.

"Fine, I'll get something. Hey, Talon could you point us to…" When Quinn turned back to look at the Noxian but he was gone. His price gun and box was left lying on the floor. The Demacian sighed, "It's gotten pretty late so we should be getting back to our dorm."

* * *

The way back to Valoran University was silent in the car. Quinn had her head pressed against the cold glass as she stared back at all the cars passing by them. As Quinn predicted, the sun was gone when they left the store earlier. Lux had already open a bag of chocolate candies and she chewed on them while she drove. Her blue eyes glanced at her friend every now and then.

"You feeling alright, Quinn?" The blonde finally asked after almost half an hour.

"Huh," the girl lifted her head, "Yeah. I'm just thinking."

"Are you thinking about that cute boy I _accidently_ knocked you into?" Lux chuckled mischievously.

"He is not a cute boy he is that jackass that bumped into me yesterday," Quinn groaned.

"Oh, shoot. I had no idea," Lux's laugh grew louder. "At least he helped you back up this time. Come to think of it, you two were holding each other for a bit too long. Also, why were you too so close in the first place?"

"I didn't mean to get that close to that... that... that jerk."

"You know, if you were a bit taller, I would have knocked you into that jerk's lips."

"Eat your candy, Lux…"

* * *

 _Notes: Will Kindred play any part in this story? You bet. Did Quinn forget to buy her new coffee maker? You bet. Will Quinn and Talon cross paths again? You bet. Will Lux regret all that junk food she bought? Probably not._

 _For those of you wondering when we are going to see Jhin and Jinx, worry not, they are soon to show up. I would also like to thank you all for the reviews, favs, and follows._

 _I hope you all enjoy the rest your week, I know some of you may be starting school soon or already started... Haha, good luck._

 _See you next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

" _Are we are going to prom or to hell?"_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Four: On The Wrong Foot

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most by Dance Gavin Dance (Explicit)

Crazy for You by Best Coast

Run Devil Run by Girls' Generation (Ahri's Dance)

Let's Not Fall In Love by BIGBANG

* * *

It was only the first day of classes but Quinn could already feel her feet throbbing with all the walking she had been doing. A young man zoomed passed her on a skateboard and she thought that she should probably invest in one until the boy was stopped by the on campus police. Quinn sluggishly dragged her feet— the weight of the books in her arms was beginning to be too much. Her first three classes were so close in time she wouldn't have a chance to drop off her things at her dorm room. Quinn's only choice was to carry everything for the first five hours of her Monday. One hour of Art Appreciation, one hour of Runeterra Art History, and then two hours in her last class of the day.

The navy-haired girl sighed as she saw the her next classroom— Life Drawing in Room 602. There were already a few students making their way inside, some already looking as exhausted as Quinn. She followed them in and that's when she saw the odd layout of the room.

Long, black desks were circled around the room with two chairs at each one. Quinn assumed she would have to share a desk with another student. Her eyes scanned the room, seeing there were a lot of free seats. Some students were already paired up and Quinn assumed they were all friends since they were quietly chatting. Her eyes then spotted a pair of bright blue braids.

The girl the braids were attached to looked friendly enough to get to know. She chewed on gum loudly and blew bubbles occasionally. Quinn noticed the girl was very pale and she had tattoos of gunsmoke and bullets going down her right arm. The young artist walked forward, intending to sit alongside the girl but Quinn saw she had her thin legs thrown across the chair beside her. She had thick, black combat boots with neon pink laces on her feet which she tapped together rhythmically. Quinn took the seat right beside her in another desk and placed her books in front of her.

The Demacian glanced over at the blue-haired girl, debating if she wanted to strike up a conversation before class started. She looked up at the clock above the door— they had a good two minutes. Quinn turned back to the girl, moving her hand to tap her shoulder but pulled back when the girl jumped up and waved.

"Jhin, over here!" The girl failed to whisper and ended up almost shouting. Quinn looked over to who she was addressing and she saw a very tall young man standing in the doorway. He smiled at the blue-haired girl before walking over to sit beside her. Quinn turned away when they exchanged a kiss.

"Jinx, my dear, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Jhin whispered to her, earning a giggle from the thin girl.

"Uh, you saw me like an hour ago before I went to Ancient Runeterra History, puddin'." Jinx teased, poking him on the nose.

"And it was the longest hour of my life without my sweetheart." Quinn heard Jhin say, making her clasp her hand over her face slowly. These kind of couples were usually distracting but hopefully they would stop when class started, which was in the next thirty seconds. She tried tuning out the annoying lovebirds beside her by watching who came in the door.

The room was already filling and Quinn noticed that she was the only person without someone sitting at her desk. The teacher walked into the middle of the room with a small stack of papers in her arms. She had long brown hair tied in a lazy bun and she wore a messy smock and a pink button-up shirt. Her and Quinn watched the clock's fast hand tick towards the twelve. The teacher nodded to herself when the bell rang and walked over to close the classroom door. Just then a boy came sliding through, scaring the teacher.

Quinn's golden eyes widened when she recognized the young man as Talon. It looks as if he had seen her too because he was glaring right at her. His eyes frantically searched the room for another open seat. The teacher patted his shoulder and led him over to the empty seat right beside Quinn.

 _This cannot be happening…_

"A couple seconds late but I don't expect everyone to be on time with a campus this gigantic," she chuckled. "Take this seat, love. It looks as if it's the only one that's open."

Talon hesitated before placing his things on the desk and sat as far away as he could from Quinn. She watched him from the corner of her eye, scowling at his childish behavior. Her attention was brought back to the teacher.

"Good afternoon, class. I'm Ms. Blair, your Life Drawing teacher." Ms. Blair started as she walked around the room and placed the papers that were in her arms out to the students. Quinn looked over the paper and saw that it was just some rules and things they would learn while taking this course. She flipped to the backside and saw that the class' final was not finished being decided but it would be done with a partner. "We are going to have a good, year-long semester in this class. The person next to you will be your partner for the whole year. They will be your critic, the person you go to for advice, your…"

Whatever else Ms. Blair said was drowned out by the screaming in Quinn's mind. She glanced over at Talon, who had the same shocked expression as her. The young man looked at her and he immediately turned away, muttering something under his breath. From what Quinn could make out, it wasn't anything nice.

"You want to say that to me a bit louder, Talon?" Quinn whispered to him.

"Don't speak to me," he growled. "When this is over, I'm asking for a class exchange. I won't be able to focus with you constantly staring at me."

"What the hell is your problem," the young Demacian glowered at him.

"Damn, I can feel the sexual tension all the way over here." The two heard Jhin joke. They turned and saw him jokingly fanning himself, making Jinx snort uncontrollably.

"Do you four want to explain to the class why you're giggling?" Ms. Blair's soft silver eyes suddenly became hostile. The four students shook their heads, "Good. Now listen up. On the backside of the paper I gave you, there is a list near the top. These are the items you are going to need this semester. You will need: different pencils with different variations of lead size and hardness, erasers, sharpeners, a small sketchbook, a large drawing pad, and a easel. A smock, like the one I am wearing, is optional. The place I go to buy my art supplies is the Crafts and Hobbies shop in town."

"Will we need to bring the easel everyday to class?" A student asked while raising his hand.

"No, those will be used at home. I have easels for you all to use here."

Ms. Blair continued on with her explanation about the class, almost everything she said was typed on the paper in front of Quinn, who had tuned her out again because Talon was tapping his fingers on the desk. The tapping had become louder than the teacher and it made the young Demacian grind her teeth.

"Stop that," Quinn demanded. The Noxian ignored her by tapping his fingers even harder. She slumped in her seat, blowing away hair that fell in her eyes. Quinn turned her head and saw that Jhin and Jinx were smirking at her.

"I know that it hasn't come close to two hours yet but this is where I am going to end today. I didn't plan a lesson because, well, it is the first day and you all don't have your supplies yet. The next time we meet," Ms. Blair walked over to a calendar that was hanging above her desk, "On Thursday at this same time. I expect you all to have your supplies by then. Alright, you are all dismissed."

One by one, students gathered their belongings and made their way out the door. Quinn wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere— this was her last class of the day. She looked at her smartphone and saw that it was a little after one. The Demacian counted on her fingers, knowing it took an hour to get to town and she wouldn't be back until after three.

Just then, she noticed that Talon had hastily gathered his things and rushed over to Ms. Blair. Quinn's golden eyes narrowed at him while he talked to her. Whatever he was asking her, the teacher quickly typed on her computer to get his answer. Quinn huffed a curse under her breath as she walked out the door.

* * *

"This cannot be happening right now," Quinn growled as she turned her car key into the ignition for the tenth time. She knew this was going to happen. A few days of letting her car sit out in the cold weather made it stall. She smacked her hands on the steering wheel before she opened her door. The Demacian stepped out and pulled out her phone.

 **To: Lux**

 _Hey, Lux. Do you want to drive to town? I need to get some things for my drawing class but my car won't start._

 **From: Lux**

 _Sorry Quinn. I'm Still In Class And I Won't Be Out For Another Hour And Then I Have A Two Hour Class After This One D:_

 **To: Lux**

 _Ah, that's fine. We can always go tomorrow?_

 **From: Lux**

 _Yeah We Can Do That :D I Will See You Back At The Dorm In A Few Hours!_

 **To: Lux**

 _Cool, alright get off your phone. I don't want you getting into trouble on your first day._

Quinn smiled at the mess of heart emojis Lux sent back. She put her phone back in her pocket and walked over to the front of her car. Quinn lifted the front top off and frowned at the frost that had gathered on her engine. She ran over to her trunk and pounded on it to get it open.

From inside, she pulled out a dirty cloth to wipe the oily ice off. The Demacian slammed it closed and made her way back around to the front and began picking the ice off. After a few minutes of cleaning, Quinn decided that that might had been why her car didn't start. She hopped back in the driver's seat and silently prayed that her car would start.

It didn't.

"Of course," Quinn laughed, "What else?"

"Car trouble?" A familiar voice asked from Quinn's passenger's side door. She looked over and saw Talon. The Demacian glowered at him but stepped out of her car again.

"Yeah, it won't start."

"Do you… mind if I take a look?"

"Knock yourself out."

Talon dropped his bag on the asphalt after he walked to the front of the car. Quinn stood a few feet behind him and watched him poke a few things inside. To her it looked like he knew what he was doing. The Noxian pulled back his hair with a tie he had around his wrist and he looked deeper inside. He walked to the driver's side and tested whatever he was doing.

But there was something bothering Quinn about this picture…

This young man not too long ago snapped at her for bumping into him and said he was going to exchange classes just because she was in the same one. It truly seemed like he disliked her a lot— maybe even hated her. There was a nagging voice in Quinn's mind saying he could easily snap a few wires and rendering her car more useless than it already was.

Her eyes scanned the parking lot and saw they the majority of the people outside were more towards the entrance. Quinn sighed— _why do I always choose to park so far away from everyone else? If Talon tried anything fishy, no one would hear me scream for help_. She turned her attention back to the Noxian who was still fiddling with the key in the ignition.

"Why are you helping me? Just a few minutes ago you were… never mind." Quinn blurted out.

"I did some thinking and I figured we kinda got off on the wrong foot," Talon replied not looking away from the task in front of him.

"You don't say…"

"Look, can we just start over?" The Noxian groaned as he stomped over to Quinn. He stuck out his hand, "I'm Talon. I'm a Game and Interactive Media Major, I work at my father's supermarket, and my favorite color is violet."

Quinn glanced down at the Noxian's outstretched hand, her eyes narrowing. Her fingers twitched when she moved her arm. She sighed as she finally grabbed his hand and shook it. His hand was very cold and almost swallowed her smaller hand whole.

"I'm Quinn and I'm a Drawing Major, I love birds, and my favorite color is blue." She forced herself to smile at Talon. She glanced behind him, "Did you figure out what is wrong with my junker?"

"Come here," Talon said as he walked back to the front of the car. Quinn reluctantly stepped forward, "You see this wire right here? That is what connects your ignition to your engine. When I was turning the key, I felt no pressure from the wire. That means it busted. Probably from the cold weather freezing the oil and then you forcing it to move."

"I have always been forceful with my junker."

"Well, it's going nowhere now. If you don't replace that wire, you're stuck without a _junker._ " Talon said as he closed the front hood. He looked back at Quinn and he looked as if he was fighting with himself. "You… don't need a ride anywhere, do you? I was going to town to get my supplies."

"I was too but you don't need to. I was going to catch a ride with my—" Quinn was interrupted by her phone violently vibrating in her front pocket. She pulled it out and saw that he had a few messages from Lux.

 **From: Lux**

 _Scratch That On Going Tomorrow_

 _I Totally Forgot I Have To Drive Back Home And Pick Up Some Books I Left There_

 _And I Know My Mom Will Be Talking My Ear Off When I Get There So I Will Probably Be There Awhile_

 _I'm Sorry Quinn D: Dx_

"You were saying?" Talon asked, the corner of his mouth turning up when he saw Quinn shove her phone back in her pocket with a groan.

"Yes, I need a ride."

* * *

Quinn uncomfortably crossed her arms over her chest as Talon sat in the diver's seat of his car. He pulled his keys from his flannel pocket and started his car. The radio was silently playing as he pulled out of his parking space and began to slowly drive out of the lot.

Talon's car smelled a lot like him. It was also very oddly clean aside from the large folder sitting on the floor under Quinn. She curiously picked it up and felt it was very heavy. The Demacian unzipped the black binder and saw that it was packed with CDs.

"This is quite a collection," Quinn said as she turned pages and saw that most of them were blank CD's with names of bands written in marker.

He obviously illegally downloaded albums and burned them onto the CDs. There were only a few that looked authentic and Quinn couldn't help but laugh when she saw what they were. She recognized the Ionian girl in fox ears that was printed on almost all of her CDs with her name on them.

"Do you really own Ahri albums?" Quinn snickered, pointing at the one of Ahri blowing a heart shaped kiss.

"A guy can't like Ionian Pop?"

"They can but I will question if they like Ahri for her music or her fox ears and skimpy shorts. Besides, most of her songs are a bit too repetitive for my taste."

"Excuse you, Run Devil Run is a masterpiece. If you don't believe me, pop in that pink CD and skip to track five."

"Isn't Ahri shaking her hips in the music video?" Quinn asked slyly but did what Talon asked her to do.

"Don't hate," Talon shook his head as he turned onto the highway. Quinn clutched her seat as the car began to pick up speed. Talon noticed her sudden discomfort and he turned to look at her, "You alright? You're not going to vomit in my car are you?"

"N-No, I just have a little fear of fast driving."

"So do you drive like an old woman in your junker?" Talon snickered.

"And if I do?"

"Good for you, I guess." The Noxian shrugged, subtly slowing the speed of his car. Although, Quinn didn't seem to notice but she did relax a bit.

It grew uncomfortably quiet in the car again besides the Ionian Pop song playing. The Demacian didn't want to admit the song was a bit catchy. Quinn looked over at Talon, who kept his eyes on the road but glanced once at her.

"Can I ask you something?" The Demacian finally spoke. Talon gave a single nod as he turned into a new lane on the highway. Quinn took in a slow breath, "Did you really ask Ms. Blair about changing?"

"No," Talon admitted. "I only asked her if she could suggest me brands of pencils I should buy. Even if I did ask her about a class change, my schedule is packed already."

"Oh, okay." Quinn mumbled, turning away to hide her blush.

"Why? Did you not want me to leave?" The Noxian chuckled.

"That would have left me without a partner," Quinn shot back playfully. "So, what made you want to be a game designer?"

"Don't laugh at me but I love history, especially the time where assassins roamed. My father tells me that we had some infamous assassins in our own family. Our last name does mean _of the blade._ " Talon explained. Quinn saw him slightly smile as he talked about his family, "A game I really want to make is where you play as an assassin, forcing yourself to make silent and secretive kills. Games nowadays don't penalize you for going on killing sprees but mine will."

"That sounds really cool," the Demacian giggled, "I would play something like that if I were any good at video games. Although, don't you think the name _Talon of the Blade_ sounds just a tad edgy?"

"It's the name my father gave me," Talon rolled his eyes but chuckled.

"Your sister is Katarina, right? You don't look anything like her."

"That's because she and I aren't blood related— I was adopted at a young age. Katarina looks like our father while our younger sister Cassiopeia looks like our mother." The Noxian explained, "What about you? You got any siblings?"

"I have a beautiful mother and a father I don't speak to anymore and I… had a twin brother..." Quinn's voice trailed off as she thought of Caleb. She remained quiet for a moment while she looked out the passenger side window. A car speeding passed her window snapped her back to reality, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I stopped talking."

"Don't apologize," Talon said. He could tell that the girl didn't want to speak any longer about family life so he decided to change the subject, "So… how is dorm life treating you?"

"It's great. I have the most wonderful roommate, Lux Crownguard. She is really sweet and—"

"Wait, _**Crownguard**_? Does she have a older brother named Garen?" Talon asked, a tiny chuckle escaping him.

"Yeah why?"

"God, Katarina has had the biggest crush on that idiot since high school. I snuck into her room once and found a journal she kept under her bed and she had _Mrs. Katarina Crownguard_ written all over it. It was disgusting."

"Let the girl fall in love with whoever she wants," Quinn joking scolded the Noxian.

* * *

"I think we have everything," Quinn said loudly enough for Talon to hear her from the other aisle. She poked around her shopping basket, "Pencils, eraser, sharpener, sketchbook, smock… All I need is a easel."

"I'll get one of the workers here to carry our things to my car. Here are my keys. I'm going to run next door really fast," Talon said before jogging over to the cashier. A young man in a blue apron walked over to Quinn a few moments later, carrying two medium sized easels under each arm.

"Are you Quinn?"

"That's me," the Demacian smiled.

"Your boyfriend asked me to help you to your car after you finished paying," the young boy explained.

"H-He is not my boyfriend. We are just… friends," Quinn blushed. The boy chucked and walked behind Quinn as she made her way to the cash register.

"Good afternoon, miss!" A girl greeted her with a bright smile. "Did you find everything you needed?"

"I did, thank you." Quinn said as she placed her things on the conveyer belt for the girl to scan.

"Are you buying the easels too?"

"Her _boyfriend_ already paid for his. I'm just here to take her back to her car while he ran next door to the automotive shop," the boy behind Quinn laughed. The Demacian could tell that he was pulling her leg now but she nodded to the girl in front of her.

"That will be $59.80, miss." She said as she bagged Quinn's art supplies. Quinn gave the girl the exact amount and waved goodbye before walking out of the Crafts and Hobbies shop.

"That black car is ours," Quinn said dully.

She opened her side door and put her things on her seat and then walked back to open the trunk for the young boy. Quinn grimaced at the sight of Talon's absurdly clean trunk. It had nothing inside other than a tool box. The young boy placed the easels inside the car and lightly closed the trunk.

"You have a wonderful day, miss." He grinned before walking back into the shop.

Quinn looked over to the automotive shop window and she saw Talon at the cash register. It seems like he had already paid and he grabbed his item before walking out. He spotted Quinn and he made his way over to her.

"I got that part you need for your car," he said as he raised the little box up to show her. Quinn's eyes widened when she saw the price sticker of one-hundred dollars on it.

"T-Talon, you didn't need to do that!"

"I know but I did." He said as he threw his belongings in his backseat before sitting behind the wheel. Quinn followed soon after and she handed him back his keys. "I'm going to install it for you as well."

"I'll pay you back as soon as I—

"I don't want your money, Quinn." He stopped her, "But you do owe me one favor. No matter what it is, you can't say no. Deal?"

 _Don't agree to this, Quinn. Who knows what he has in mind. Probably something lewd. Then again it could be something harmless like doing his assignments for a month… Whatever…_ Quinn thought for a second. She sighed as she snapped her seatbelt in.

"Fine, deal."

* * *

"Thank you for the ride," Quinn thanked the Noxian as she watched him pull out her easel from the trunk. She was surprised to see him throw the heavy thing over his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take this up to your room what else does it look like I'm doing?" Talon said as he slammed his trunk. He pressed a button attached to his keychain to look his car and set an alarm. "Alright, get going."

Quinn sighed but walked in the direction of the dorm buildings. There were only a few people scattered throughout the sidewalk, some silently on their phones and others making their way to their own car. She looked down at her smartphone and saw that it was passed four, an hour later than when she thought she would be back from town. This is the time where people were finished with classes and would be headed home.

The two walked into Quinn's dorm building in silence. The lobby was empty other than the man refilling the vending machines with snacks and sodas. Quinn rolled her eyes, Lux would be happy to see that considering she had already consumed more than half of her candy.

There was no elevator in the building so Talon and Quinn had to take the stairs. It was only five floors they needed to climb. Talon followed behind Quinn as she bounded up the stairs, stopped every so often to look down at the Noxian. She was surprised to see that he wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Well, we made it to my floor. My room is around the corner, so I can take my easel from he—"

"Just keep walking," Talon grunted.

The Demacian sighed as she pulled her keys from her pocket when they came closer to her door. She unlocked the door and opened it. She stepped inside along with Talon. He glanced around the room, his eyes stopping at the all anime girls. The Noxian looked back at Quinn with a confused face.

"That is Lux's side of the room," she said. "You can just put that down over here."

"Alright," Talon shrugged and placed the easel against Quinn's wall.

He froze when he heard a large tearing sound. Talon glanced down at saw his flannel sleeve caught in between the easel's legs and off his shirt. He yanked the cloth out from between the wood and sighed.

"Damnit."

"Uh," Quinn mumbled, "I could sew that back on for you, if you'd like?"

"Yeah, sure… thanks." Talon grumbled as he handed the girl his sleeve. Quinn watched him unbutton his purple flannel, seeing the tight black tank top underneath. She blushed, the shirt left nothing to the imagination.

Quinn tore her eyes from him when looked around her room for her sewing kit, which was sitting on top of her dresser. She took in a deep breath when she finally found it. The Demacian sat on the edge of her bed and Talon hesitated before he sat alongside her. He handed her the rest of his shirt.

"This shouldn't take long," the young Demacian said while she threaded a needle. She missed the hole a few times, making her sigh in frustration, "Or it will…"

Talon, bored with watching Quinn miss and then groan repeatedly, looked to the wall behind him. He gazed at all the movie posters and Quinn's photos when he spotted a faded picture of her when she was younger. She was standing beside a boy that looked similar to her and they were both excitedly pointing to a lion behind them.

"Who is that?" He asked, pointed to the photo. Quinn turned from her task to look behind her. She quickly whirled back around when she saw the picture.

"That's my twin brother, Caleb," she replied sullenly. "He died not too long ago."

"Do you mind if I asked what happened to him?"

"We were both driving late one night. He told me he could beat the light before it turned red. We were going so fast, he didn't see another car coming straight for us… I don't remember anything after that besides the ambulance lights and the sound of my mother's screams."

"My apologies," the Noxian said lowly. He watched Quinn take in a deep breath and finally get the thread through the needle. He chuckled, "That took you long enough."

"You think you could do it faster than me?" The Demacian challenged as she handed the needle to Talon but accidentally pricking him in the thumb. "Ah, sorry! We have band-aids somewhere around here!"

"By the time you find them I'm going to bleed out," Talon smirked before putting the tip of his thumb in his mouth. He watched the girl open each drawer looking for the bandages, which too were on the top of her dresser.

"Found them. Although, these are Lux's bunny bandages..."

"Time," Talon said while he looked at his watch, "Twenty seconds."

"Just give me your hand," the younger girl growled. Talon chuckled and let her grasp his hand. She examined the cut, seeing it did stop bleeding but covering it would let it heal faster. She unwrapped a bandage and folded it around his thumb. She patted the top of his hand, "There."

"Thanks," Talon glared at the pink bunnies on his thumb but gave the girl quick grin. He looked down at Quinn's hand on top of his. Just then they heard the doorknob turn and in walked Lux. She froze in her tracks when she saw the Noxian sitting on her friend's bed and their hands touching. The blonde grinned mischievously.

"If you wanted some privacy, Quinn, you should have shot me a text."

"It's not like that!"

"I have to get going," Talon said. He got up from the bed and rushed for the door. The Noxian gave a single, wary glance to the two girls, "I'll see you around."

Lux's blue eyes slowly moved from the door to her friend, who had her face in her hands. She could tell that Quinn was trying to hide her red face. She sat beside Quinn, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. The blonde then noticed the torn violet flannel in Quinn's hands.

"What happened here?" Lux asked, pulling the ripped sleeve from her hand.

"Oh, he left his shirt," Quinn gasped.

"Well, that gives him another reason to come back and see you." Lux giggled, handing her back Talon's sleeve. "What was he doing in here, anyway? Don't worry, I won't tell Garen that we had a boy in the room."

"So much happened. Let me start from the beginning..."

* * *

 _Notes: You know how some writers give their characters a bit of their personality? Well, I gave Talon my interest in K-Pop (or Ionian Pop) and yes, he does want to make Assassin's Creed. Only, I'm sure his will be better. Also, if you are wonder why is taking an art class, its required since Game and Interactive Media Design is a more specific type of art._

 _Also, don't worry if that little appearance of Jhinx (I read that ship name from a review on another story of mine and I thought I was cute) was short, we will see them again. By the way, I didn't describe Jhin on purpose. We don't know what he looks like in cannon League, so I left him open to your own imagination._

 _I hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	5. Chapter 5, Part 1

" _Chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, darling."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Five: The Cool Kids

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash

Basket Case by Green Day

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

* * *

 _One Week Later_

"Why does this assignment have to be on Shurima?" Quinn silently asked herself while she scanned one of the hundreds of bookcases in the library. "Deserts are so boring."

The navy-haired girl's finger traced along the bookcase, looking for the one specific book she was assigned. She hit a dead end. Quinn looked back down at the folded paper in her hand. _Ancient Shurima Hieroglyphics_ was the book she had to read over the weekend. But Quinn wasn't in the right mind to sit down and study.

She rubbed her forehead, unable to get the same lingering thought in her head. _Talon._ Last week was still bothering her. That day with Talon confused her so much. They had talked once in class but nothing personal. It was just school conversation. No matter how much she talked to Lux about it, she couldn't get him out of her head. Not to mention Lux's only comment was the same each time:

 _You have a thing for him._

Quinn felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. It was only the second week of classes and Quinn was already getting sidetracked by the opposite gender. She shook her head and focused back on her task. Her golden eyes jolted around but found nothing.

"Maybe the other students snagged all the copies before I could," Quinn whispered to herself as she walked around the bookcase. She found books with similar titles and took in a breath of relief, "Getting close."

As her hands touched each book, the light above Quinn suddenly went out. The part of the library was dim already now it was just darkness. The navy-haired girl sighed, smacking her hand against the wooden bookcase. She pulled out her phone and switched on her built in flashlight.

She heard giggling coming from the bookcase behind her. Quinn walked around and saw two familiar people sitting in a chair in the darkest corner of the room. It was Jhin and Jinx. Jhin covered Jinx's mouth as she giggled. The Demacian couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of Jinx sitting across her boyfriend's lap.

"Keep it down, darling. Make anymore noise and your buddies will find us." Jhin warned his blue-haired girlfriend. Her pink eyes shot open and her face suddenly became serious.

"We should probably sneak out the back then—" Jinx noticed Quinn in the other side of the room. She tore Jhin's hand off her face and pointed at the Demacian, "I know you!"

"Jinx," Jhin hushed.

"You're that girl in our Life Drawing class!" The tiny girl smiled while she jumped off her boyfriend's lap. Jinx hopped over to Quinn, "What are you doing wandering around in the dark?"

"Looking for a book," she replied. "What are you two doing?"

"Hiding!"

"Hiding?"

"Yeah, from those no good cops that keep following me and my puddin'!" Jinx stomped. Quinn looked over the small girl's shoulder to Jhin for confirmation. The tall Ionian nodded while he got up from his seat.

"There are two members of the On-Campus security that are always looking for a reason to get us expelled. This school is so safe I assume this is their only source of entertainment."

"Do you give them a reason to target you?"

"I mean we pull the occasional rat infestation in their office a couple times a month but they have no proof it's Jinx and I," Jhin chuckled.

There was a sound of boots against the carpet not too far from the trio. Quinn turned to flash her light but Jhin swiped her phone. She was going to say something to him but he pressed his finger against his lips, asking her to stay silent.

"I think I saw something over here," a woman's voice said not too far away. She had an accent Quinn didn't recognize.

"Let me go first, cupcake. If those two run I can jump on them before they can." Another woman said, her voice more brash than her partner. Quinn's eyes narrowed in the darkness and saw a pair of flashlights zipping around. She felt her arms being pulled and let herself be taken.

Through the dark room, Jinx and Quinn followed Jhin to the emergency exit. He pressed open the doors with his shoulder, letting the girls out before sprinting out himself. Quinn was almost blinded by the evening light. She turned and saw the tall Ionian moving a trashcan in front of the door before leading the girls towards the back of the school.

"We can't stay here," he explained.

"Let's go to the K building!" Jinx said, still yanking the Demacian behind her. For a thin girl, she was very strong.

"Great idea, darling."

* * *

Quinn clutched her bookbag closer to her person while she followed Jhin and Jinx through thick bushes. The Ionian said they had to travel through the foliage to hide in case campus security had followed them. According to Jinx, their destination wasn't too far from them.

The Demacian glanced to her left and saw the football field with players practicing tackling drills. To her right was the baseball diamond, it had a few plays stretching while others tossed baseballs to each other. Where were they headed exactly? Quinn barely knew these two and yet she blindly followed them.

In the distance, Quinn saw a trashed building. Her eyes narrowed warily, as they came closer to it. More than half of its windows were shattered and the roof was a scorched black color.

"Is this the place?" The Demacian asked.

"Yup," Jinx replied, "That's the K building."

Quinn watched Jhin jiggle the door handle before kicking it in with his boot. Wood fell from the roof, narrowly missing the Ionian's skull.

Jhin held the door open for the young ladies and inside Quinn saw a charcoal filled room. Yet it had a few couches inside along with posters of rock bands and crude-looking graffiti along the walls. Jinx quickly dashed in before anyone else.

Quinn took a cautious step inside, glancing around. It smelt like burning firewood and wet moss but the couple didn't seem to mind. Jhin shut the door behind them, flicking on a lightswitch before sitting alongside Jinx.

"What is this place?"

"It used to be the K building before it caught fire a few decades ago… several times." Jhin replied, wrapping one arm around Jinx. Quinn tilted her head as she sat down in the armchair across from them.

"What do you mean by several times?"

"They rebuilt this a few times but it just kept bursting into flames. No one knows how the fires started, firefighters couldn't find a fire trail."

"People think it's the ghost of Maokai burning it because this building is on his ancient land!" Jinx shouted.

"Who is Maokai?"

"He was a spirit who took care of the forests of Runeterra. Some say he grew it all himself. He let man onto his land, thinking it would just be a few of them but they overpopulated. His trees were cut and his animals were killed." Jhin said, "There was a treaty between Maokai and the leaders of Valoran centuries ago, promising not to cut down any more if he agreed to no kill everyone."

"But these dick heads of Valoran University built this building on his land," Jinx added with a groan.

"Yes, even if was many years ago, Maokai still protects his forests."

"So that's why we have thick forests around Runeterra… and that's why cities like Noxus build underground and Piltover has tall buildings."

"Bingo, baby," Jinx snapped her fingers at the Demacian.

"But where did you get a story like that?"

"You hear a lot of things during Saturday Detention," the tiny girl giggled. "That's where I met my Jhiny."

"Oh," Quinn said, slightly alarmed.

"Do you want me to tell you?!"

"Uh, okay?"

"Alright, well so it was on a Saturday…

* * *

 _Notes: A little shorter than the other chapters but it's still something... right? I have been working a lot lately (Guess where I work. It rhymes with Dupermarket) Yeah. I'll try and get the second part of this chapter as fast as I can (I write during my lunch breaks)_

 _As always I hope you enjoyed this Quinn + Jhinx._

 _See you next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 5, Part 2

" _You make me feel so…"_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Five, Part Two: How Jinx Met Jhin

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Cupid's Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes

If I'm James Dean, Then You're Audrey Hepburn (Acoustic Version) by Sleeping With Sirens

Your Love is My Drug by Ke$ha

* * *

"Young lady, this is the third time you have caused an explosion within the science labs." A curvaceous woman, who was the headmistress, said to Jinx.

The blue haired girl couldn't help but stare at the short skirt and low-cut top the headmistress had been wearing. Her pink eyes twitched as the woman in front of her uncrossed and crossed her legs, spotting her lacy unmentionables. With a growl, the headmistress smacked a yardstick on her desk, jolting Jinx to her senses.

"Are you listening?!"

"Uh, yes?" Jinx shrugged.

"So you know how you're going to pay for this, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've done this two other times." The blue-haired girl hopped up from her chair, stretching. "Saturday detention is in the automotive building right?"

"Oui," the headmistress replied and she poked up her reading glasses. "And don't think about ditching. We have cameras and a log in sheet."

* * *

The smell of oil in the automotive building was very apparent to the point where it made Jinx pinch her nose. She heard chairs being pulled across the concrete floor, indicated some students were already here. She walked passed a few cars, some missing doors, windshields, and even engines, until she got to the back of the building.

There were four other people including the teacher cursed to babysit them. Everyone turned when Jinx's messily tied boots came squeaking into the room. The teacher glared over at her before looking down at his clipboard.

Jinx recognized this man as the Culinary instructor, Sir Pantheon, not for his famous foods but for his sadist attitude towards his students. There was a rumor going around all year that had made four students cry in just a single week. She also heard it was over burnt grilled cheese sandwiches. Those kids would have most likely quit the culinary program if it wasn't for Sir Pantheon's partner, Miss Leona, who balanced out Pantheons extreme attitude with a warm smile.

"Are you Jinx?" He asked in an irritated tone. The small girl nodded and the teacher made a mark on the clipboard. He pointed to a chair near the back of the room, "Take a seat and keep quiet."

Jinx followed his hand to an empty seat at the very back of the room. Right beside her seat, a young man had his at head resting on his crossed arms. She plopped herself down, already feeling the cold, steel chair hurting her backside.

"Alright, troublemakers. My students call me Sir Pantheon and you will too. We got five hours to kill, so in order to entertain myself we are going to go around the room and talk about what landed us in Saturday Detention."

The man scanned the room under his sunglasses until he stopped at the young man in front of Jinx. Sir Pantheon points him out, sending a visible chill up the poor kid's spine. The culinary instructor chuckled before sitting back in his chair, throwing his feet over the stool in front of him.

"You, shaky kid, who are you and why are you here?"

"Uh, I'm…"

"It doesn't matter what your name is!" Sir Pantheon shouted, making the already frightened students jump in their chairs— even the sleeping boy beside Jinx woke. She could help but stare at him while he rubbed his eyes. "All that matters is that you pissed off Headmistress Fiora enough to have her send you here. So what did you do, kid?"

"I… I called Professor Ryze a blue freak," the boy squeaked. No one could tell what Sir Pantheon's expression was under his dark sunglasses. He let out a loud laugh before he made a few marks on his clipboard.

"Me and that man never saw eye to eye." He said as he calmed down a bit. His eyes scanned the room again until he stopped at Jinx staring at the boy next to her. "Skinny braid, why are you here?"

"Huh?" Jinx snapped back to Pantheon. She cleared her throat, "I set another fire in the Chemistry lab. I was looking through my bag to see what I could light up and before I knew it we had to evacuate the whole building. Who knew acetone, the main chemical in nail polish remover was so flammable?" Jinx giggled. She turned slightly and she saw the boy beside her was grinning up at her.

"Interesting," Sir Pantheon mumbled. Just as he was looking around the room for his next victim, his phone rang. He yanked it out of his pocket and looked at the name on his screen. "Leona… I told her I was working Saturday detention. Alright kids, no one move an inch. I have to tell my girlfri— I mean culinary partner that I'm busy."

Jinx watched the man quickly answer his phone and his time was suddenly hushed and sweet. She stuck out her tongue in disgust. Just then she felt something poke her elbow. The blue-haired girl looked down at saw a paper being pushed over to her by the boy beside her. Jinx curiously took it and read what he wrote at the top.

 _Hi, I'm Jhin._

Jinx open her mouth to speak but Jhin pressed his finger to his lip and then pointed over to Pantheon eyeing them. He handed her the same pen he used to write his greeting. Jinx took it and scribbled her messy reply.

 **im jinx!**

 _Is that your real name?_

 **It's** **what my moms called me when they adopted me. apparently everything i touched suddenly caught fire.**

 _I think it's a nice name._

 **why are you in here?**

 _I got in trouble with the theater program. We were holding auditions for the upcoming play Sweeney Todd and I wanted to make my performance as great as it could be. Todd is know for slicing his victims throats open with his barber blades. I thought using a chicken would land me the role._

 **did you get the part?**

 _They kicked me out of the program entirely. The fools in the theater program don't know a good performance when they see one…_

 **oh sorry :(**

 _It's quite alright. My family sued and got me into the art program. I plan on majoring in photography now. A picture could tell a thousand more words than a dumb play can._

 **awesome! headmistress Fiora says i have one more chance in the Chemistry program before she expels me haha**

 _That doesn't seem all that funny. Aren't you a bit worried?_

 **im not worried at all. my mom can get me back into the school and my other mom can get me into another program. they always said i had a knack for vandalism so i think graphic design is my true calling**

 _Then may I ask why you chose chemistry as your current major?_

 **i liked setting things on fire**

 _Why didn't I guess? I like you, Jinx. We should hang out sometime._

 **How about right now? There is a back door we can sneak out of.**

Jhin looked up to Pantheon who had his back turned on the students. He looked back over at Jinx who had already slipped out of her chair was crawling on the concrete flooring. Jhin hesitantly dropped down to the oil-stained floor and followed behind Jinx. She couldn't contain her giggling as she saw the door. It was left slightly open, probably from the automotive students getting in some extra work in on their cars.

"Three..." Jinx started.

"What are you counting down?" Jhin asked, crawling up to met the skinny girl. He tried his best to keep his clothes from touching the dirt but they were already stained.

"We have to run because this door has an alarm. They put one in because people started stealing the tools here. So get ready, Jhiny. Two..."

"Jhiny?" The Ionian's brow furrowed while he thought. "I like that."

"One! GO!" Jinx cackled as she busted through the door, setting off the alarm. Jhin was caught a bit off guard but quickly caught up to the girl outside. He didn't know where she was headed but she was moving quick. He followed her manic laughing out the ball fields. That's when he saw the rumored K-building just a few yards away.

"Let's go in there!"

The two slammed open the charred front door to an empty classroom. It was a singular room used for the sports teams to organize game plans— that could be seen on the blackened whiteboard still left with a bunch of sports keywords the two students didn't understand. Jhin sat on one of the melted chairs to catch his breath. He gasped when Jinx hopped in his lap with the same idea.

"That was fun," the girl giggled. Jinx turned to look at the Ionian and she suddenly grew quiet.

"Is there something wrong?" Jhin asked.

"Your eyes... they are two different colors." The blue-haired girl said as she admired them. She grabbed his face between her tiny hands to get a better look at them. His left eye was a red-brown while the right was a deep blue shade. Jinx let him go, "They are very pretty."

Jhin looked back into the girl's pink eyes, suddenly feeling a fluttering sensation within his gut. He softly grabbed the girls chin and pulled her lips towards his. It was a short kiss but it tasted so sweet. Jinx pulled away first, giggling when she wiped her purple lipstick off Jhin's mouth.

"Although, when it comes to cats when they have two different colored eyes that means they are probably deaf. Are you deaf?"

"No," Jhin laughed. "You are very peculiar... I like that. Why don't you and I hang out here for a bit? I am pretty sure they sent out a squad to come and look for us."

"Can we make out?"

"Whatever you want, doll."

* * *

"And one year later, me and my Jhiny are still together," Jinx giggled as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's bicep. "We haven't told anyone how we met. By the way if you are wondering, I managed to change my major before Headmistress giant-chest could kick me out of this hellhole. Graphic design is totally the shit."

"We don't get the chance to because others are just too afraid to come near us," Jhin laughed. "Especially after the rumor about me evolved from me using a chicken to an actual person."

"Amazing," Quinn said, surprised at how entertaining the girl's story was. She watched the two second years gaze at each other, feeling a sudden ache in chest. Quinn touched her shirt and felt her heart underneath beat slowly. As she closed her eyes, she saw the Noxian boy.

"So," Jhin started, making Quinn open her eyes. "We told you something about us, how about you repay us with something about yourself?"

"Oh, um. Well, I really don't have many cool stories about myself."

"We all have some story about ourselves," the Ionian replied, "Whether it be joyful or tragic."

"Then... I guess, I could tell you about the night... I lost my brother."

The navy-haired girl was a little uncertain. She had only ever told what had happened to Caleb to Lux and only about half to Talon. Quinn knew she felt close to those two and as she looked at the couple before her, her uncertainty vanished.

"Oh, I do love tragedies," Jhin clutched his shirt dramatically.

"Okay, so it was the end of our freshman year in highschool and it was the summer where we would become sophomores…" Quinn's voice hitched slightly, "My brother and I were driving home from a party at our friend's house. It was late and we were getting close to hitting curfew so we were already driving fast. He said he could beat the red light. My brother stepped on the gas…"

Quinn paused and looked down at her satchel strap across her chest. She yanked it off as it felt like it was constricting her. Jhin glanced over and Jinx and saw she very engaged in the Demacian's story. The blue-haired girl hugged her knees to her chest as she waited for Quinn to continue.

"Caleb didn't see the other driver in the same lane as us. I think he was probably staring at the yellow light just like me. Before I knew what happened… I saw my brother lying on the hood of the other car… dead. Everything was blurry after that because I smacked my head against the dashboard." The navy-haired girl said while she rubbed her forehead, feeling the faint scar just under her hairline. "I think to myself a lot that if I wasn't watching light and I had saw the other car, maybe I could have swerved is out of the way. My parents divorced soon after and… now here we are."

The room was silent around the trio. Quinn suddenly felt self-conscious like she had made the couple so quiet. Just then, Jinx rushed over to Quinn and wrapped her skinny arms around her. The Demacian looked back over at Jhin, who had a smile across his face.

"Jinx just accepted you as our friend," Jhin explained while he stood. "Come on ladies, it's gotten late and we should be getting back to campus."

Jinx pulled Quinn off the couch and dragged her behind her. The Demacian could tell her story had made the girl more clingy but she didn't mind. The girls followed behind the tall Ionian back to campus.

"So, Quinny, is there any boys you'd taken interest in?" Jinx asked with a sly smile. Jhin himself even turned a bit to hear the Demacian's answer.

"Well, there is one, but I don't think he likes me the same way I like him."

"You'll never know if you don't ask! You're beautiful inside and out! I'm positive he'll want to go out with you!" Jinx shouted, "Next time you see him, I order you to ask him on a date. You two have to become boyfriend and girlfriend because Jhin throws a lot of parties!"

"What Jinx means is she wants to double date," Jhin chuckled.

"I guess there is no harm in asking him…"

* * *

Quinn forced herself up the last of the stairs, sighing when she got to the top. She adjusted the strap across her chest as she made her way over to her door. She kept her golden eyes on the carpet— she was too exhausted to even look up.

Just then she saw a pair of boots in front of hers. She glanced up and saw Talon's amber eyes. Her face suddenly went red.

"Uh, I came for my shirt. I realized I had left it here when I was doing laundry," Talon explained.

"Oh, right. I'll get it for you." She said as she went to to unlock her dorm door. Quinn fumbled a bit with her keys, feeling the Noxian just inches behind. Whether if he intentionally that close or not, it did make the young Demacian nervous.

The navy-haired girl left it open so Talon could follow her inside. Quinn tossed her things on her bed and walked over to her dresser, pulling open her top drawer. She looked through and found the Noxian's flannel underneath her own clothes.

"I sewed the arm back on for you," she blushed as Talon's fingers touched hers when he took his shirt from her. She watched him admire the neat stitchwork for a second before putting it on.

"Thanks," he nodded before turning to walk out her door.

"Talon, wait." Quinn stopped him. The Noxian turned slightly and waited for her to speak, "Would you… you like to go… and hang out sometime… with me?"

"Like as a date?"

"Exactly like a date," she smiled a bit. Talon nodded almost immediately.

"How about tomorrow after five? I have the day off from work so I'm free then.

"Sounds great."

"Good, I'll pick you up here." Talon said as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. Quinn couldn't help but grin widely as she stared where she last saw the Noxian.

She walked over to Lux's magical girl calendar and traced her finger along the current week.

"You were right, Jinx," she blushed.

* * *

 _Did you know: there was a miscommunication between Jhin's art team and the team that makes promotions for upcoming champions? He was originally supposed to have blue eyes but in his promotional video he was given red-brown eyes. (I personally like his dark eyes over his blue eyes but I gave him both! It's a real condition and its called heterochromia iridum.)_

 _Notes: Yes, Pantheon did pull a Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson— wouldn't you? Also, was this a long wait? It felt like it to me... my days just kinda blur together now that I am working more, especially since I work nights. But I promise to get the next chapter out as fast as I can. I know you will all love it. *take a deep breath* IN THE CAR I JUST CANT WAIT TO PICK YOU UP ON OUR VERY FIRST DATE. IS IT COOL IF I HOLD YOUR HAND IS IT WRONG IF I THINK ITS LAME TO DANCE._

 _See you next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 6

"Our love is God—let's go get a slushie."

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter Six: Our Very First Date

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

First Date by Blink-182

Stomach Tied In Knots (Acoustic Version) by Sleeping With Sirens

First Kiss (Stranger Things Soundtrack)

* * *

"He will be here any second!" Quinn panicked as she rushed cherry-flavored Chapstick over her lips and then groaned when she got it on her teeth. She tried rubbing it with her thumb but it only made the color smudge.

"You need to calm down before you get all sweaty. That blue long sleeve shirt will show pit stains," Lux said from behind her. She handed the navy-haired girl a napkin before she adjusted her friend's hair. Quinn hastily wiped the pink Chapstick off her teeth and tossed the wadded up paper in the trash bin.

"I can't help it, Lux." The young artist groaned, "I'm just so nervous."

"This wouldn't be your first time going on a date, would it?" The blonde asked.

"Well… yes."

"No need to worry, Quinn. I've never been on a date either— you know how Garen is. I got something for you to use," Lux smiled as she turned to look through her jewelry box. The tiny box played a sweet tune when the blonde opened it. The navy-haired girl watched her friend rummage through gold bracelets and diamond earrings before she finally pulled out a silver chain.

It was a beautiful necklace with a simple opal crystal hanging on it. Lux held it up to Quinn, letting her friend lightly touch the white stone. She wrapped the chain around Quinn's neck— it was cold on the navy-haired girl's exposed collarbone. The blonde took a step back, smiling as she admired the necklace on her.

"You look beautiful."

"Lux, this is your necklace I just can't—"

"It's a good luck charm of mine. I've worn it for every test and I've passed them all," she giggled while she held her hand over her friend's lips. "I'm sure it could help on this date too."

"Thank you, Lux." Quinn smiled.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Quinn quickly shot up from her chair to go open it. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, her fingers twitching. Lux stepped before her and opened the door to reveal Talon, looking calm. He opened his mouth to say something but the blonde slammed the door on him. Quinn's jaw dropped while Lux grabbed her by her shoulders. Her golden eyes jumped from the door to her friend, seeing she had serious face.

"Listen up, Quinn!" Lux practically shouted, grabbing her face. "I know you like this boy but you need to say 'no' if you feel uncomfortable and get out of there. You're a beautiful girl and he will probably try to grab your firm boobs."

Quinn froze when her friend gave her chest a couple of light squeezes.

"So you go out there and go on this date. If you need me, just text me. If that boy tries anything fishy, I will have Garen deal with him." Lux said darkly. The young artist couldn't help but hide her face in her hands— this was going to be a wild day. Her friend giggled, immediately returning to her sunny personality. "Have fun, Quinn."

"Thank you, Lux." Quinn sighed while she walked passed her to open the door. Outside she saw Talon, who seemed to be holding in a laugh as his face was red and his lips were pressed together. She waved to Lux before stepping out quickly, but not fast enough for the blonde to give the Noxian a glare.

"You ready," he asked. Quinn nodded. Talon chuckled, "I'll go wherever you want to go and I promise I won't try and grab your _firm boobs_." The Noxian busted out into laughter when Quinn smacked a hand over her red face.

"Did you really hear that?"

"I heard all of it," he replied. "Pretty sure the whole floor did. That aside, where do you want to go?"

"Oh, there is a cute little café on campus. It's run by one of Lux's friend. We can go there," The navy-haired girl said.

"Quinn, it's five in the evening. I think it's a little too late for coffee."

"You said you will go wherever I wanted to go," she smirked.

"Fine, fine. I guess I could just order a hot chocolate or whatever," he groaned.

There was a small few seconds of silence before Talon held his hand up next to Quinn. His brow twitched and his cheeks slightly turned pink. Quinn watched his amber eyes jump around to avoid her gaze, she could tell what he was asking without words. She stared at his open palm for a brief second before she laced her fingers between his. Talon's hand was cold but the navy-haired girl didn't mind.

They kept their eyes forward— hiding their increasingly reddening faces from the other.

* * *

Quinn stepped into the café as Talon held the door open for her. He followed behind her to the where the menu was posted above a magazine stand. The Noxian stood beside her, both of them surveying the blackboard and colorful chalk. Apparently, there was a Friday sale on cold drinks. Although, it was way too chilly outside to enjoy them. They were well into the month of October. Quinn would have to remember that if the weather ever warned up.

"What are you getting," Talon asked.

"I think I want a vanilla macchiato with no whipped cream. You?"

"A hot chocolate with extra whip," he grinned. "I'll buy you just go find us a place to sit."

Before Quinn could protest, Talon was already walking towards the cash register. He watched a student she didn't recognize take his order before she looked around for a seat. Her eyes finally settled on an ugly, mustard-colored loveseat by the window. It was small, meaning her and Talon would be sitting a bit too close to each other.

Quinn smiled at the thought.

She walked over and practically sank into the cushion. Quinn groaned when she felt a spring poking her in the most uncomfortable place. Not to mention it smelt as if it had coffee spilled on it a few too many times. The Demacian didn't mind the smell of coffee but this was just too stale.

"This date has gotten a bad start… but I assume nothing else could get worse," Quinn whispered to herself as she adjusted her sitting so the springs weren't stabbing her.

"Got your drink," she heard Talon say as he made his way over. The navy-haired girl smiled at him before taking her macchiato. Talon sat beside her, his face twisted uncomfortably the exact way when Quinn sank into the dark-yellow cushion. "My god, the hell is up with this couch. I can feel the old springs shoving right into my—"

Talon paused and then took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Yeah, I think I know what you were going to say. Why don't we just head out to the umbrella chairs outside." Quinn suggested while she got up, struggling a bit to get her rear end out of the couch. She lent the Noxian her hand and he gladly took it, letting Quinn assist him to his feet.

"Good idea, this shitty café music was starting to get on my nerves anyway," Talon chuckled as he followed Quinn out the front door.

The area where the umbrella chairs were was completely empty— it was Friday after all. Quinn assumed students would be either resting in their dorms or off campus enjoying the start of the weekend. She took a seat, shivering when she sat on the cold, metal chair.

Everything was cold actually. There was no breeze but it was still a rather chilly evening. Talon sat down directly in front of the Demacian but moved to the seat beside her when the umbrella was blocking his view. They smiled at each other when their eyes met. Talon cleared his throat.

"You mind if I ask you something," he said before sipping his drink.

"Go ahead," Quinn replied. She had to admit his sudden curiosity had stricken some nervousness in her.

"Where did you get the nerve to ask me out?" Talon covered a growing smirk with his cup.

"Do you know that girl that sits directly next to me in Life Drawing?"

"Yes, I think her name is Jinx or something. Why?"

Quinn pulled out her smartphone and tapped the screen until she was in her text messages. She had to scroll up through all the nonsense Jinx had been sending her. The Demacian chuckled as she turned her phone so Talon could see the screen. His amber eyes narrowed at the phone as he read:

 **From: Jinx**

 _Speaking of angry rashes, did you talk to that guy you like? I think I know who it is! It's that guy you're always staring at in class!_

 _His name is Taffy right? Or was it Toby? I'll go with Toby that sounds like a more human name. I once met a guy named Echo but it was spelt kinda weird. What kind of name is that anyway?_

 _Ask Toby out already! You and him have to double date with me and Jhin it will be so awesome! We can get ice cream and watch movies but Jhin won't watch movies about musicians. He thinks it's a dumb form of art. So as I was saying..._

"She really gets off topic a lot on doesn't she…" Talon sighed, looking away from the screen. "Also why did angry rashes remind her of me? What were you two even talking about?"

"Now who's getting off topic? I'll admit that rambling of hers turned into... motivation," Quinn smiled.

"If we're being honest here, yesterday when I was waiting by your door, I didn't really care about getting my shirt back…"

"Then what did you care about?"

"You saying yes to a date with me," Talon chuckled. "But you beat me to the punch… and if by any chance you would say yes to another, don't bring those two crazies with us."

"You mean Jhin and Jinx? What's wrong with them? I think they are pretty sweet."

"A close friend of mine isn't very fond of that freak, Jhin. He's bat shit insane." Talon said, a hint of sourness was heard in his voice when he said the Ionian's name. "Also, from what I hear, his girlfriend is a compulsive liar. She goes around telling people that her and Jhin first got together in detention."

"But that is completely possible… right?"

"Maybe in high school but we are in a university— we don't have detention here. But there is some truth to the story, Jinx did set fire to the science labs and Jhin did kill a chicken on stage. However, every second year knows they got together at a house party last year." Talon watched his date's eyes lower down to her coffee cup, her fingertip rounding the top. He grabbed her hand, "But a date is no place to talk about shitty people."

Suddenly, Talon's pocket started screaming. His face twisted into an ugly scowl as he reached into his packet, taking out his phone. Quinn couldn't help but wince at the terrible noise. The Noxian tapped his phone screen and then put it face down on the table.

"Speaking of shitty people," Talon growled. His phone began ringing again and he ignored the incoming phone call, this time muting it.

"What was that horrible noise?" Quinn asked.

"A custom ringtone I have for Katarina. It's a sound bite of her trying to sing in the shower." He chuckled, "She hates it."

Talon's smartphone vibrated on the tabletop. He flipped it over, seeing that Katarina was sending him messages in all capital letter for him to answer. The Noxian groaned as he cleared the text messages.

"You should probably just call her back. It seems like she won't stop until you do," Quinn said.

"You don't mind?" He asked. Quinn shook her head with a pretty grin. Talon sighed as he dialed Katarina's number. He lifted the phone to his ear and immediately his sister began screaming at him— even Quinn could hear what she was saying.

" **Why were you ignoring my calls, boy?!** " The redhead yelled. Talon pulled his phone away to rub his ear.

"I'm talking with someone," he replied.

"Well say goodbye because you have to cover my shift at work."

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Don't talk back to your boss. Go now, it's only for a few hours."

"Fine," Talon growled before he hung up on her. His amber eyes looked over at Quinn, who seemed a bit bummed out. The Noxian reluctantly stood up from the metal chair, "Sorry, Quinn, I have to go. I'll walk you back to your dorm."

The Demacian got up from her chair and followed Talon towards the direction of her dorm. She could tell that he was walking slowly on purpose—he didn't want the date to end and neither did she. She grabbed his wrist, making him stop. The Noxian turned to face her.

"Why don't I just go with you?" She blushed. Talon thought for a second and smiled.

"Sure. After all, Kat did say it would just be a few hours."

* * *

Quinn followed her date into Du Couteau's Supermarket. It was going rather slow, Quinn could see only about five customers walking around. Even the smell of fresh bread was gone. How slow was business going? Talon stopped in front of a time clock mounted on the wall, punching in a few digits. He turned, looked around the area for a couple of seconds, and then walked over to the area where the cash registers were. The Noxian picked up a phone and held a button.

"Attention all customers and staff, the store is now closed, please leave. You may buy your final items at any self-serving register." Quinn heard Talon say over the intercom. "Employees will still be paid fully for their shifts, thanks." He haphazardly put the phone down, letting a big click echo throughout the store. Talon walked back over to Quinn, leaning against the wall proudly while watching the customers leave with their groceries.

"Can you do that? Just ask them all to leave?"

"If my father isn't here, Kat's the boss. If she's not here, I'm the boss. Besides, look how empty it was. It's almost seven o'clock on a Friday night, come on. Might as well just close. Look, that lady is just leaving with a jar of jelly." He pointed to an older looking woman with a huge red jar in her hands, "Ew... she got strawberry?"

"So, if you're not here, is your younger sister in charge?" Quinn asked, stepping away from the time clock to let employees end their shifts.

"Cassi? God no. That girl hasn't worked a day in her life. She decided that she didn't even want to attend university like Katarina and I so she went to modeling school. She's mommy's little princess so she gets what she wants." Talon rolled his amber eyes. "No, the fourth boss around here is—"

"Hey, Talon," a dark voice said from behind Quinn. She turned and saw a tall man with short brown hair, dark-red eyes, and a few scars under his eye and across his nose. He looked older than both Talon and Quinn by a year or so. The man undid his apron and tossed it over his shoulder. Quinn assumed, with the assortment of knives around his belt, that he worked in the deli. He exchanged a fist bump with the Noxian, "Any reason we are leaving early?"

"Kat made me leave my date early to cover her shift so I'm getting back at her by just closing the store. Like hell I'm working the registers tonight." Talon explained. The taller man looked down at Quinn, his dark brows arching up at her.

"Is this your date?"

"Oh, right, let me introduce you." Talon said, "Quinn, this is Zed. The friend I mentioned earlier. Zed, this is Quinn."

"Quinn? You mean this is the 'dumb Demacian' that you keep talking mentioning?" Zed asked in an almost mocking tone. He leaned down at bit, "Believe me, it's not anything bad but he does talk about you a lot. Actually, it's a little annoying."

"He does? Really? Like what?" Quinn asked smugly. Her eyes looked over to her date's face was a bright red.

"Just things like ' _she so annoyingly pretty_ ', ' _the way she looks at me gets me so pissed off but i like it'_ , and my favorite: ' _I hate that I like her so much'._ You know, cute things only a Noxian could come up with."

"Alright, Zed." The Noxian growled.

"Yesterday, I got so annoyed with him and his mouth I just said ' _go ask her out already_ '... and, from the looks of it, he did just that."

"You should get going now. Syndra is most likely waiting for you," The Noxian softly shoved him towards the time clock.

"You're right," the Ionian chuckled as he punched in a few digits into the time clock. "You two have fun."

Quinn watched Zed walk away, hearing him laugh as he did so. She turned back to her date, seeing that he was sticking his middle finger up at his friend. The Demacian couldn't help but giggle. She heard that Noxians weren't too keen on expressing their emotions— especially when it came to love. Talon sighed while he walked towards the back of the store.

"Come on," he said and Quinn trailed behind him. "I know Kat only wanted me here so I would be the one to start putting the Harrowing candy and decorations out instead of her."

"Do you want me to do anything? I can help." Quinn asked while she followed him into the back room. There were a lot of boxes stacked, each one saying either _decorations_ or _stock before Harrowing._ Talon stopped in front of them, moving them around until he found the one he wanted.

"Sure," he relied as he handed her a smaller box. "You could put webs and fake spiders around the registers. I'll handle the heavy stuff."

The Noxian easily held two big boxes under his arms and began to walk back to the main part of the store. His eye caught something on the desk just before the doors— a walkie-talkie. He dropped the boxes and rummaged through the top drawer until he found the second half to it.

"Keep me company," he said as he handed Quinn one half. Talon raised the other to his mouth and pressed a grey button, "Because stocking shelves is boring as hell. Over."

"Gotcha. Over."

* * *

"I just don't understand the thing behind the Harrowing. You dress up and eat candy as a kid. As an adult, you dress up and get drunk." Talon said into the walkie-talkie as he stocked the shelves with cheap Harrowing masks. "Actually, I don't mind the drinking part of Harrowing. Over."

"But there is so much to the holiday besides getting drunk and eating sweets. Like, take all the horror movie marathons for example. I look forward to those every year," stated Quinn. She smiled as she put more fake spiders into the cotton webbing. "Do you have a favorite horror flick? Over."

"Eh, I'm not too much into scary movies. The one I do like however is that one about the guy in the mask that kills people. Over." Talon chuckled to himself, knowing Quinn would never guess which one he was referring to.

"Talon… there are hundreds about a masked killer. Over."

"Duh, they are all the same to me. What's yours? Over."

"I'm more into the supernatural horror. My favorite is The Mist. It's about people being stuck in a grocery store because there is a thick mist with monsters hiding in it. I think it's pretty good. Over."

"I've never seen it. Maybe… you and I could watch it sometime?" The Noxian asked, unknowingly stopping his work for her to answer. He shook his head, "Uh, Over."

"We should, Harrowing is a week away. Would you like to then? Over."

"I'd love that. Speaking of mist, did you ever hear about that urban legend about a green mist appearing during Harrowing? Over." Talon asked while he looked at a mask of a crying woman. He felt a sudden chill run up his spine and he immediately hid the mask behind all the others.

"Yeah, a lot of spooky things are said to happen if the mist does show up. The dead reanimates and spirits of the damned have no restriction on what they can touch… it sounds like a party to me." The Demacian stepped back to examine the decorations. The webs were thick but one was still able to see the numbers of each cash register. "I'm done putting up these decoration in the front. Is there anything else you want me to do? Over."

"Uh, sure. Go to the back room again. There should be a broom in the corner somewhere. Over." Quinn hurried back to the back of the store, pushing through the swinging doors. She searched around for the broom and she spotted it lying flat on the floor.

"Found it. Over."

"Alright, just do one sweep around the store. Just go up and down the aisles, through the bakery, and back. It's mandatory sweep before we leave. I'm almost done stocking anyway. Over." Talon explained. He grabbed a box cutter and sliced another box open. Inside was more masks. "Why do we have so many of these… who the hell buys a costume at a grocery store?"

"On it, boss man. Over." The Demacian giggled.

Quinn managed to sweep swiftly through the aisles, picking up things like dirt, pasta that fell from the boxes, and flour in the barkery. She did one more round through the aisles again. The Demacian jumped when she heard something fall on the other side of the store where Talon was. She picked up her walkie-talkie quickly.

"Talon, are you okay?! Over?" She quaked.

"Yeah, I just dropped a glass decoration. Can you come over here and sweep up the big chunks? Over."

Quinn hurried through the cereal aisle and down to the display shelves where Talon was at. She darted around another corner. Her golden eyes scanned the floor but she saw nothing but open boxes and Talon standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Where is the broken glass," she asked. The navy-haired girl's brow arched in confusion when Talon chuckled.

"There is no broken glass. I just threw the box as hard as I could to get you over here." He replied while he tapped the empty box with his boot.

"But why?"

"You remember when you agreed to do whatever I asked?" He smirked as he took a step forward.

"Yes…"

"Well, I was thinking… I want to cash in the favor you owe me." The Noxian was standing directly in front of Quinn now. She looked up at him, the confused expression still glued to her face. Suddenly, he put one hand under her chin. Quinn's stomach felt like it was trying to launch itself out of her body through her throat. He grabbed the opal gem Quinn had hanging around her neck between his fingers, "This is a pretty necklace."

"W-What did you want?" She finally blurted out.

"Kiss me," Talon whispered as he leaned into her, "Now."

Quinn got on the tips of her toes, pressing her lips on his slowly. Talon's other hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer. Her hands now had a mind of their own when they tangled themselves in the Noxian's long hair. Quinn always heard that a good kiss felt like fireworks going off where you met the other— but not this one. This kiss felt like that moment where you put the final piece into a puzzle.

Complete.

Quinn didn't see it until now that she had been missing something. If she would have noticed it, she would have assumed she felt like she was missing Caleb. However, that wound was starting to heal. It was something Caleb couldn't have given to her even if he was still alive— that feeling of her soul being whole.

Talon was the first to pull away, his face a bright pink from either the lack of air or the fact he kissed the girl who haunted his thoughts for weeks. He pressed his forehead on her's, realizing he felt the same thing Quinn did. It was silent between them for a good minute. The Demacian lifted her walkie-talkie to her lips.

"You haven't fixed my car yet, Talon. Over," Quinn giggled.

"I promise, I'll do it soon." He groaned before looking at his phone. "Oh shit, we've been here for four hours. Let me clean this up and we'll head back to campus. Wait by the registers, okay?"

Quinn nodded before she walked passed her date. She smiled when she grabbed his hand and pulled him in for another short kiss. He stood there, stunned. Talon shook his head and lightly pushed the Demacian forward.

* * *

"So…" Talon whispered to Quinn as she searched for her keys. She held her finger to her lips, asking him to be quiet. It was midnight and she assumed Lux was probably asleep by now. He spotted her phone in her back pocket and he yanked it out.

"Hey—" She started but Talon pressed his fingers to his lips. He tapped on her phone screen, asking for her to unlock it. She rolled her eyes and put in the password. The Noxian chuckled as he put his phone number into her contacts— placing cute hearts around his name.

"Since this date didn't turn out exactly as planned… how about you and I try again next week?" He asked handing her back her smartphone, "You and I can text it over later."

"Alright," the navy-haired girl smiled. She sighed a breath of relief when she found her keys in her front pocket. Quinn turned to him, "I'll see you later then."

She lightly placed a kiss on Talon's cheek before sticking her key into the doorknob. Talon shook his head, that wasn't enough. He pulled her in, kissing her on her full lips. She giggled into him, making him laugh as well. Suddenly, the door opened. The two turned and saw a messy-haired Lux standing in the doorway with a smug grin. She placed her hands on her hips.

"I see that necklace is lucky after all."

"Good night, Quinn." Talon said before hastily kissing her again and hurrying off. Lux watched her friend's eyelashes batting as she stared at him. The blonde pulled Quinn into the room by her sleeve and shut the door behind them.

* * *

 _Notes: "Harrowing? But wasn't that like a week ago?" I hear you asking. Yes it was but I've been a bit busy at work so this chapter is a little late. That aside I hope you enjoyed this date. (I feel like I used that word a lot this chapter... Also I hope the third song wasn't a spoiler but come on who didn't see that coming?)_

 _"But MYH, why did you make Jhin and Jinx lie to Quinn? I hate you." I also hear you asking. You didn't think this couple was perfect did you? (Oh but we will be seeing them together with our main duo very soon hehe let the havoc ensue *rubs tiny cold hands together menacingly*)_

 _Did you hope you would see more of Zed? Well strap in kiddies because the next chapter will be all about him, Syndra, and all the good stuff._

 _Also, I'd love some feedback_

 _See you next chapter!_


	8. Chapter 7

" _Don't go crying to your mama cause you're on your own in the real world."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 7: A Light in the Darkness

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Ain't It Fun by Paramore

Modern Romance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Today by Smashing Pumpkins

* * *

Zed was still chuckling as he stepped through the sliding doors— the idea of Talon alone with a girl was so weird it was laughable. The smile on Zed's scarred face started to fade when he exited Du Couteau's Supermarket and saw the sun setting behind the hillside. He turned back and saw the Demacian girl following Talon somewhere into the store. Shaking his head, he turned back to the parking lot and walked to his car. The Ionian pulled his keys from his front pocket and unlocked the driver's side door. He tossed his green apron into the backseat before he sat behind the wheel.

Zed started his car, taking a moment to just focus. His eyes wandered over to a photo he had under his sunvisor. It was a photo of him in high school alongside his adopted father and brother, Kusho and Shen, on one side of him and on the other was Syndra, his girlfriend. Zed, Shen, and Syndra had just graduated their senior year of high school in Ionia. Zed smiled as he looked over his girlfriend's unimpressed face as she held her diploma and a paper that had her valedictorian speech. He sighed as he recalled what happened in this scene.

It was just after the whole senior class had gotten their diplomas, Zed remembered that with all the students walking around in the background. Parents were either crying or cheering for their children, handing them bouquets of flowers or balloons. It was a rather short ceremony because they had cut Syndra's speech prematurely. She had started with: 'I'm only your valedictorian because you jealous fools couldn't even come close to my perfect attendance and grade point average.' Zed had to cover his mouth to stifle his laugh when they asked Syndra to leave the podium. The Ionian began laughing now as he left the shopping square parking lot and turned into the freeway.

Syndra has always been the one to not hold back what she says. She was almost unapproachable. That's what caused most people not to like her but Zed loved her. He found himself stepping on the gas to get home faster to get to his girlfriend. It wasn't too far away from his job so he should be there in a few minutes.

The side of the freeway leading back towards the school was rather empty other than the numerous advertisements that littered the sides of the road. Billboards of upcoming movies, advertisements of crappy sodas, and there was even one for Du Couteau's Supermarket. _For when you want cutthroat prices, shop at Du Couteau's Supermarket._ Zed's red eyes narrowed at a new billboard he hadn't seen before.

Zed glared at a billboard as he drove closer to it. It was advertising a brand of pie that was only available during the holidays. First of all, the Ionian didn't understand why they were here already before it was a week to the Harrowing. Secondly, Zed hated the image of the happy family. The father in the photo was cutting the pie as the wife passed it out their eager-looking two sons. It made him angry because it reminded him too much of the fake family he once had.

On the outside, Kusho and his two sons looked perfect— Kusho was a highly renowned surgeon while Zed and Shen both graduated at the top of their senior class, underneath Syndra of course. Zed and Shen had both been accepted into Valoran University's doctorate program and that is what Kusho wanted them to do. Shen was more than willing to follow in his father's footsteps while Zed was forced into the career path.

Zed fought his adopted father on not wanting to become a surgeon like him. He knew Kusho's reasoning on being a surgeon was to keep the balance of the human life in tact. Zed's rebuttal was true balance would be not to tamper with those that are dying— they had a reason to head to the afterlife and no doctor should force them to stay on this godforsaken earth. Kusho would then lecture his adopted son on the meaning of life, death, and the realm of the dead. The Ionian thought to himself that Kusho should keep his religious beliefs out of medical practices.

But what he hated most is that Kusho would constantly compare him to his other son, Shen. He sat at the top of the doctorate program with remarkable grades and brought home a beautiful nursing student, Akali. Kusho was more than welcoming with the Ionian girl more than he had ever been with Syndra— going as far as letting Akali stay the night with Shen which went against his religious beliefs. He would constantly accuse her of Zed's bad habits. Zed began to resent his adopted brother for all the things he was not.

That motivated him in the worst way.

Zed went back into the doctorate program soon after and immediately he regretted it. One year later into the program had stressed him to levels so high he saw shadows everywhere. Soon he slowly stopped going to school and let his grades slip to unrecoverable levels. Kusho, in a fit of rage, told Zed that he was his son and he will do what he says until he decided to go out into the world on his own— and that is just what Zed did. The adopted Ionian left his father's home the day he had enough money to rent an apartment and dropped out of the University. He knew Kusho would have to pay big fines for him leaving the school but he didn't care.

Luckily, Zed wasn't alone. He had a group of people he could rely on: the Du Couteau clan and Syndra. The two Ionians moved into Zed's apartment not too far from the school and Marcus had hired Zed two years before that, giving him the hours to keep that apartment with his girlfriend. Marcus was probably more of a father figure than Kusho had ever been. He told him about his hardships he had with his own wife from her high-class father rejecting her for marrying Marcus, to infertility that lead them to adopting Talon, and to the joy of them having Cassiopeia bless their lives a year later. Marcus told him that, with Syndra by his side, he could get through anything.

The Ionian found himself clenching his steering wheel hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. He had to take a slow breath inward before he turned onto the street where his apartment was. Zed noticed that the trees around him were starting to lose their leaves. The neighborhood here was kept neat as of a lot of students lived here. He looked up to the second floor and saw one window was on— Syndra was home.

A small smile grew on his face as he turned to park his car alongside the sidewalk. He shut off the vehicle before opening his door to grab his work apron. As he walked into the complex, he was greeted by neighbors who knew him as just a worker at the local supermarket. Zed didn't know these people and they barely knew anything about him or Syndra. They kept to themselves mostly and kept their circle of friends connecting only to the Du Couteau family— but even they didn't know Syndra's secret. He waved back as he kept on going to his stairs.

Zed hopped up the steps and kicked off his shoes right next to Syndra's tiny flats. He pushed his keys into the door and slowly opened it. He quickly stepped inside, being careful to not open the door too widely. On the couch he saw his Syndra studying her calculus textbooks while simultaneously cooking in the kitchen— as she sat on the couch in the living room.

Syndra didn't look up from her books when Zed sat beside her. He locked his hands around her waist, pressing his face into her back. Just as he was getting relaxed, he heard a pot in the kitchen start to boil. Zed got up quickly to lower the heat and stir the noodles inside.

"Syndra," he started as he walked back into the living room, "I told you not to cook while you study. You need to watch the pot."

"Huh?" The ivory-haired woman mumbled as she looked up from her books and saw the spoon in her boyfriend's hand, "Don't worry I'm cooking tonight." She said, completely ignoring his scolding. The Ionian man sighed as he walked back over to his girlfriend.

"Alright, just look up to the pot once in awhile. I know your power is useful but it has almost burned down our apartment twice…" Zed said while he sat behind her. He kissed her softly on the cheek, "Also… hello."

"Hello, Zed. You're home early by the way. Any reason why?" Syndra asked, not looking up from her books.

"Talon dismissed the whole store. He wanted to stock the shelves alone… along with that girl he is always talking about." Zed smiled when Syndra's lavender eyes looked up from the page— he knew this would peak her interest. Syndra had always teased the frustrated Noxian about earning the heart of a girl but she didn't think he would actually pull it off.

"That Demacian girl? Why is she hanging around that moron?"

"I have no clue…"

"Whatever, maybe he will stop talking about her for once."

"I have a feeling this coming week he is going to be raving about his date with her."

"And the next week he is going to be begging us to go on a date with them," Syndra shuddered, making her boyfriend chuckle. "I can only imagine what horrors await us: lunch dates, movie dates, dinner dates. I can't— I have too much to study up on."

"Syndra, you've mastered pretty much whatever there is to learn. What more is there to study?"

"I need to know is two plus two truly equals four…" The ivory-haired woman answered as she flipped through her books. She nodded to herself, "There are so many factors of it not being the true answer."

"I'll let you study up and I will finish dinner." Zed said as he got to his feet. He stretched before moving across the carpet to the kitchen. He looked inside the pot to see what Syndra had intended on making. The Ionian frowned at the half-soaked noodles, mayonnaise, and pears inside the pot. The smell of the boiling mayonnaise was actually starting to make him dizzy. He shrugged— Syndra never really looked at what she put on the stove if she was using her telekinesis to cook.

He dumped the boiling water into the sink, refilled it, and placed it back on the stove. Zed walked around the kitchen, picking up vegetables, tofu, and more noodles. He chopped the green onions on the cutting board as he waited for the water to start bubbling again. The Ionian turned to look at Syndra once more, seeing her still nose deep in her textbooks. She held her calculus book in her hands while she held her mathematical theory books up with her magic.

Syndra had confined her telekinetic to Zed many years ago and he has never told a soul.

The Ionian woman was born with this magic and her mother, fearing the destruction it could cause, kept her homebound. It wasn't until she was twelve when she snuck out of her home and met the young Ionian boy. They hit it off pretty fast and when Syndra's mother came looking for her they hid in a tree. The young children sat on a branch together until Zed decided to venture higher into the tree. Under his footing, a branch snapped and sent the young boy descending towards the earth. Without hesitation, Syndra caught the boy with her power and lowered him safely to the ground. Slightly scared that her new friend would dismiss her and her freakish ability, Syndra tried to flee.

Zed grabber her wrist before she got too far. He told her she didn't need to run from him and he promised not to tell anyone what had happened. They both heard Syndra's mother calling for her and Syndra said she needed to get back home before her mother does. Zed nodded and replied with a simple: _I'll see you later then._ The young Ionian girl would then constantly sneak out to meet up with her new friend to the point where her mother just enrolled her into school.

The couple had been friends ever since.

The pot then started boiling, snapping Zed out of his memories. He threw the chopped onions, some spices, and noodles into the water and lowered the flame. The Ionian walked over to the cupboards where the bowls were and took out two. Zed placed them beside the hot pot before he looked around for spoons.

"So what do you think is going on with our little Talon and his new friend?" Syndra asked from the living room.

"Probably just stocking the shelves like he said he was going to do. I doubt he would try anything fishy— I know Marcus has taught him better."

"Talon still has the mind of a young boy." The ivory-haired woman interjected, "I'm positive he would at least try to kiss her."

"I don't see a problem with that. If she accepted to go on a date with him she would most likely want kiss him back." He explained as he leaned back to look at Syndra. "Talon isn't ugly—"

"Yes he is," she said with absolutely no hesitation.

Zed chuckled to himself as he poured the now ready soup into the two bowls. He walked them over and placed one on the tea table in front of Syndra. The warm smell of the soup made her look up from her books. She grabbed her bowl and immediately slurped down half of it. Zed took a seat right beside her, reaching for the television remote.

"It's almost eight o'clock. Do you want to take a break to watch your favorite game show?" He asked her, putting a thumb on the power button. Syndra glanced down at her thick books as she let out a slow sigh. She flipped the textbook on her lap closed and rested her back on the cushion behind her.

"I've done more than enough today. Let's watch this week's losers try to top me."

"Rarely anyone does," her boyfriend chuckled as he switched on the television just in time to watch the game show host introducing the guests for tonight. Syndra smugly crossed her arms over her chest while he then gave the four categories: Piltover Inventions, Zaun Elixirs, From Demacia, and Noxus Ideals.

"Really? This will be no challenge— just like every other night." Syndra groaned before she blew a strand of white hair from her face.

" _... The first question of the night: From Demacia— a type of large bird usually hunted for their soft feathers and tender meat…_ " The host asked the blank-faced contestants.

"What are thresher geese… idiots." Syndra rolled her eyes as the timer went off, "It's only a two hundred dollar question. They aren't that hard."

" _The answer is what are thresher geese,_ " the game show host had to say when the time ran out.

Zed looked down at Syndra as she continued to answer the questions out loud, seeing her grow more and more infuriated each time none of the contestants spoke up. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and rested his cheek on her soft hair. The Ionian chuckled when his girlfriend would shout nasty names towards the television. This is how their nights usually went— they would eat, watch their show, and then go to bed with conversations sprinkled in between. Zed felt his eyes become heavy with the tiredness from his workday.

Just then, he felt his pants pocket vibrate uncontrollably. His red eyes snapped open and he saw that the game show had ended and a low-budget sitcom was on the screen— how long had he dozed off? Zed pulled his phone out from his pocket as saw that he had texts from Talon. He chuckled darkly as he read them over.

 **From: Trashlord**

 _dude_

 _i need your help_

 _i got quinn sweeping the store and im freaking out dude_

 _what kind of shitty date sends his girl to clean wtf_

 _i need to kiss her like right now so she knows im diggin her_

Zed's chuckles turned in a hysterical laughter when he turned his phone to Syndra. Her lavender eyes read over the texts and he could tell she had read the last one when she grinned wickedly. He pulled back his phone and tapped to reply to his friend.

"How should I answer him?" Zed asked.

"Tell him to channel his true inner Noxian and just be sneaky about it," she replied. Zed nodded with a small chuckle as he tapped on the screen.

 **To: Trashlord**

 _Just somehow get her to come over while she is sweeping and just do it however you can._

 _Tell me how it goes._

Zed ended the message with a thumbs-up emoji ironically— he knew how much his friend hated those things.

"And now we wait," he said he placed his phone on the table in front of him and Syndra. "Answer this, Syn: this sad little boy doesn't know how to express his feelings towards girls."

"Who is Talon?"

"Ding ding, we have a winner."

"No surprise there," Syndra winked before she leaned over to kiss her boyfriend's cheek. Zed's phone vibrated again. He reached over and held it between him and Syndra for them both to read.

 **From: Trashlord**

 _dude it worked youre a genius_

 **To: Trashlord**

 _Actually, it was Syndra's idea._

 **From: Trashlord**

 _you told syndra…_

 _she's reading isnt she…_

 **To: Trashlord**

 _I share everything with Syndra._

Syndra snatched Zed's smartphone from his hands and she began to tap the screen furiously.

 **To: Trashlord**

 _WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THAT POOR GIRL SWEEP THE STORE WHEN SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON A DATE WITH YOU. IF I WAS HER I WOULD HAVE WALKED OUT ON YOU BEFORE YOU EVEN FINISHED THE WORD 'BROOM' IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD ASK THAT GIRL OUT AGAIN AND MAKE UP FOR THIS SHITTY EXCUSE FOR A DATE AND IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE US WE WILL GO._

 **From: Trashlord**

 _hi syndra…_

 _zed ill text you later i have to drive quinn back to campus_

The two Ionians giggled to themselves when Zed sent a barrage of thumbs-up emojis as a response. He put his smartphone back in his pocket. He wrapped his arm around Syndra again, leaning his cheek back on her hair. Syndra lifted the remote with her powers and flipped through the channels for something else to watch. The now silent room was filled with the noise of unfinished sentences and slew of annoying commercial jingles.

"You know, Talon is going to hold you on you word when you said we would join him on a date." Zed whispered.

"One date won't kill you. I don't know what will happen to me however."

"A woman as strong as you will manage. But I have this nagging feeling that if we accept to go on a date with him he will ask us for more favors. Think about… he'll ask to stay over at our house with her when Marcus is home, he'll ask you what girls want, and he'll ask me for… advice."

"Oh, he's going to ask you to be his best man when they eventually get married…"

"I wouldn't mind being his best man," Zed said, leaning in slightly to Syndra's ear. He brushed her white hair away, "That is if he agrees to be ours. What do you say? Would you want him to be at our wedding?"

The Ionian watched his lavender girlfriend's eyes slowly fill with sudden realization. She turned to face him, their noses brushing against each other slightly. Zed grinned as he continued to run his hand through her long hair. Syndra grabbed his wrist, her face becoming more serious than usual.

"Are… you asking me… what I think you're asking me?" Her fair cheeks subtly dusted a light pink.

"I don't expect you to answer me right—"

"I accept." Syndra said with a grin of her own. "But I think we should hold off until I'm finished with my schoolwork."

"Understandable. I would never want to distract you from your education. I'll wait as long as I have to." Zed nodded, kissing Syndra softly. A sudden mischievous chuckle came from Syndra, making him pull back.

"You and I won't be getting married for quite a while… but that doesn't mean we can't rehearse the honeymoon."

Without another second, Zed lifted his girlfriend from the couch and carried her to their bedroom. Syndra giggled all the way there with Zed joining in with her. He hastily closed the bedroom door behind him. The living room was silent aside from the television left on the local new network. The two newscasters were talking in a forced calm tone as an urgent message flashed across the screen:

 **Sighting Of Fabled Green Mist Off The Coast of Demacia.**

* * *

 _Notes: I officially ran out of memorable quotes from one of my favorite movies 'Heathers' last chapter, I hope you guys caught that. So, I don't know what I will putting at the beginning of each chapter, maybe just quotes from the actually chapter itself... or like quotes from the songs I link to the chapter like in this chapter..._

 _But, haha, yes. Syndra is the actual roast master, Zed is the best tragic-backstory-boyfriend, and Talon is the trashlord. Wondering what Talon's contact name is in Syndra's phone_ _? It's garbage man._

 _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I would love to know what you thought!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 8

" _Teenagers scare the living shit out of me."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 8: Those Are Just Legends

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Teenagers by My Chemical Romance

This Is Halloween (Marilyn Manson Cover)

* * *

"I think the Associative Student Board were a little too expressive with the Harrowing decorations," Talon said as he and Quinn walked passed a shrine dedicated to Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance. It was an obvious styrofoam tombstone with green spears lodged through it. There were a few fog machines letting out a ghostly green mist around it. Alongside it were more shrines of entities Quinn recognized as Hecarim and Elise— other fabled monsters that awoke around the time of the Harrowing.

"I think the whole place looks amazing," Quinn giggled as she stopped in front of Hecarim's shrine. She leaned over and admired the jack-o-lanterns surrounding the fake tombstone. The navy-haired girl heard her companion sigh, "Elise is probably my favorite. A dangerous spider disguised as a beautiful woman is pretty epic, don't you think?"

"Sounds exactly like both my sisters," Talon chuckled, grabbing Quinn's hand and lightly pulled her away from the decorations. "Did we come to an agreement on what we were doing on Saturday?"

"You mean did we agree on just watching horror films in my dorm all of Harrowing day? Yes, I think we d—" Quinn stopped when she felt her phone vibrating in her front pocket. She pulled it out, tapped on the screen a few times until she saw that she had messages from Lux.

 **From: Lux**

 _Quinn, Please Come To The Sciences Building As Soon As Possible!_

 _I Need To Speak With You!_

"Lux wants to see me," she said to Talon as she replied to her friend that she was on her way. Quinn pushed her phone back into her pocket, "I wonder what she wants?"

The couple grabbed hands as they walked across campus to find the blonde. Everywhere they turned, there was a jack-o-lantern or plastic rats scattered across the campus. They seemed to pop up just over night as well— it was like the work of ghosts. Quinn didn't remember seeing the decorations last week or even yesterday.

In the distance, Quinn could see her friend standing beside the building where she had most of her classes, she even had one in a few minutes. The duo walked up to the blonde who excitedly tapped on her smartphone. She heard their steps and immediately looked up.

"Hi, Quinn! Hi, Talon!" She greeted with a hope-filled smile.

"Hey Lux," the navy-haired girl grinned back. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes! I was wondering what you were doing on Saturday, Harrowing day?" Lux looked over at the Noxian by her friend's side. Her blue eyes lit up mischievously, "Or, I should ask, what are you and Talon doing on Saturday?"

"Well..." Quinn glanced over to Talon, giggling when she saw that he as slightly embarrassed. She turned back to her roommate, "He and I are just going to watch movies all night. Why?"

"Jarvan invited you and I to his Harrowing party at his cabin."

"Really? Jarvan actually invited me personally?" The young artist beamed. Talon rolled his amber eyes, making his distaste for the Demacian third-year audible with a groan. Quinn tugged on the Noxian's arm, "That sounds like fun, Lux, but I want to spend some time with Talon."

"Oh, well, to tell the truth… While Jarvan did ask for you to come, Garen said I could only go if you came along with me." Lux looked down to the ground, "I guess I would just have to hang out with you and Talon in the dorm room."

Talon let out an exasperated sigh before he turned to the Demacian next to him. Quinn glared up at him before she nodded over to the saddened blonde. After a few exchanged mouthed curses, Talon finally conceded.

"Then, I will go…" Quinn finally said to her friend, who looked up from her feet happily. "But… Talon has to come along too. After all, I did make plans with him first."

"Oh, geez, then that is no big deal." Lux laughed, "Garen invited Katarina to join him. Besides, Jarvan loves having more guests."

"Wait, Kat is going?"

"Perfect, all three of us will be going then!" Quinn clapped.

"Awesome! Oh, by the way, both of you will be needing costumes if you don't already have one." Lux explained, "Have you got any idea on what you want to be?"

"Actually, no. Our whole plan was just to sit around in the dorm room. I guess I could just make something..." The navy-haired girl sighed as she looked over at Talon. She have a pleading grin, "Take me to the crafts store?"

"Why," the Noxian groaned.

"Because my car is still out of commission and I know Lux has her next class in five minutes. So, you're my only option."

"Oh, no! That's right! I have class," Lux shouted as she looked at the time on her smartphone. "I have to go now. I'll see you back at the dorm, Quinn!"

The young artist waved to her friend as she sprinted back inside the sciences building. A moment of silence passed between the couple before Quinn tugged on Talon's hand. He looked down at her with a ugly scowl.

"You know she was totally playing you, right?" Talon said as he turned to leave campus. Quinn latched onto his hand again, pressing her face against his arm.

"Yeah, but she's my friend." Quinn chuckled. "Besides, a Harrowing party sounds fun!"

"I… guess." Talon rolled his eyes. "Hey, what do you plan on making us anyway?"

* * *

"I'll be Lamb and you'll be Wolf," Quinn said to Talon as she handed him the white foam mask she made. Talon took it, examining the craftsmanship before tried it on. The navy-haired girl laughed as she saw his amber glare through the mask's eyeholes,"You and him have that same ' _I'll bite you'_ attitude."

"Wait, then shouldn't Talon be wearing the wolf-shaped mask?" Lux asked as she adjusted her white witch hat. The blonde first decided on dressing as the anime girl she loved so much but she advised against it as she knew Garen would say something about her wearing such a short skirt. So, she settled on the white witch costume that Quinn had suggested for her. It was still cute while being modest as she said.

"Lamb and a Wolf actually wear the mask of the other— Wolf wears a white mask while Lamb wears a darker mask," Quinn explained while she opened Talon's passenger side door.

The three students decided on just traveling in the same car to Jarvan's cabin. Since neither Talon nor Quinn knew the way there, Lux had to instruct the Noxian on where to turn from the backseat. Talon had about enough of her blabbering just a few minutes into the drive.

The highways leading away from Valoran University were dark and very empty. Talon's car was the only one making its way towards the more lonesome roads. The trees around them were beginning to get thicker, constricting the roads to just a single lane. Quinn looked out into the dark woods, her golden eyes squinting at a ghostly green color she thought she saw. She turned in her seat as the car zoomed right past it.

"Stay seated, little lady, we aren't to your friend's cabin yet." Talon chuckled as he pulled her down by her fake lamb tail.

"Sorry, I just thought I saw something…"

"Actually, my GPS says that it's just up this little hill on our left," Lux corrected him as she jumped to the front seat to point out the small dirt road. Talon growled as the energetic blonde sat back down in her seat. He slowly turned his car to enter the small road and that's when the three of them saw Jarvan's decorated cabin. Jack-o-lanterns surrounded the three story cabin and the faint sound of music could be heard coming from inside.

"Hey, that's Kat's corvette…" The Noxian said lowly as he pulled up to park beside his sister's black car.

"There is a few cars, I wonder who came?" Quinn asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt when the car came to a stop. Lux was the first to bolt out the door, saying something about the chilly weather nipping at her exposed legs. Talon helped the navy-haired girl from the front seat and escorted her to the cabin.

As they walked in through the front door, they were met with Garen and the brute Quinn recognized as Darius standing nose to nose in similar pirate costumes. Jarvan stood behind his friend while Draven snickered behind his brother. Jarvan was wearing a prince's costume while Draven wore a bright red suit that resembled what a newscaster would wear. Quinn looked over and saw her roommate staring red-faced at the tall Noxian.

"No one invited you here, Darius. Will you please leave?" Garen forced himself to ask politely as he could. Darius only snickered at him while he moved the eyepatch across face to open his eye.

"I would hate to correct a smart man such as yourself but," Darius moved his red-brown gaze to Jarvan. "I heard you tell that pale scrawny couple that they could come along—that anyone could."

He pointed a strong finger to the other side of the room. Talon and Quinn turned and saw Jhin and Jinx stuffing their faces full of snacks, ignoring the confrontation behind them. Jinx was wearing a purple jacket covered in green goo and had a hopefully fake chainsaw at her side while Jhin wore a cowboy hat and poncho.

"Oh, god, why are **they** here?" Talon groaned to the Demacian girl beside him.

"So, I just assumed that also meant me and my brother were invited as well." Darius laughed along with Draven. Garen's brows furrowed in confusion as he turned to look at his friend.

"They heard me talking with Shyvana about the party and Jinx asked, well more like, invited herself and Jhin to the party." The rugged man explained. He shrugged, "I couldn't just say they couldn't come— that's rude. This is a giant cabin after all."

"See?" Darius taunted towards Garen. He waved his brows at him as he smugly asked, "So that means my brother and I can stay right, Jarvan?"

"As long as you don't cause any trouble at my party, I suppose you can… stay…" Jarvan reluctantly answered. He patted his friend's shoulders when Darius walked away, laughing triumphantly. "Garen, don't let him ruin your night. Go talk to Katarina like you planned. Besides, she looks pretty lonely over there."

Jarvan pointed his friend in the direction of the redheaded Noxian, who stood against the furthest wall in her very revealing cat costume. Just like Garen, Katarina was furious that Darius had showed up to the party. Garen took in a deep breath as he shook off his nerves. His rugged friend watched him proudly approach Katarina before he noticed someone standing near his front door.

"Oh, Quinn and Lux!" He greeted as he wandered over to them. He gave them his usual handsome smile as he shook Lux's hand, "I'm so glad you guys came…" Jarvan then noticed Talon clutching onto Quinn's hand when he reached for hers. He looked over at the Noxian, "And you brought a guest."

"I'm Talon," the Noxian said while he shook Jarvan's hand roughly. "Katarina's brother and Quinn's… uh…"

"Boyfriend?"

"No! I'm not—"

"How adorable! I didn't seem to notice you two were matching!" Jarvan filled the room with his strong laugh. He shook Talon's hand eagerly, "A friend of Quinn's is a friend of mine! Help yourself to any food on the table. Shyvana is in the kitchen whipping up more snacks."

"Shyvana's here?" Lux asked as she finally tore her eyes off Darius. "I-I t-think I'll go say hello!" The blonde said before rushing passed the Noxian.

"Lux is always happy to see my Shyvana," Jarvan sighed. He turned to walk away, "You two have fun for now. In a bit we will all be doing a little Harrowing game."

Quinn looked up at Talon when Jarvan was finally out of earshot. He glanced down at her, his face a bright red. Her golden eyes narrowed at him playfully when he quickly turned away.

"So, uh, why did your friend run off like that? Is this Shyvana chick really all that… or something?" Talon tried to change the subject but failed miserably.

"Don't try and brush off what you just did, Talon." Quinn reached up and pushed his mask out of the way of his cheek. She got to the tips of her toes to place a kiss on him, "It was actually kind of cute."

"I-I have to go say hey to my sister," Talon said as he let go of Quinn's hand. He reluctantly took a step away from her.

"I'll go find Lux," Quinn giggled as she pushed him forward. "You go do what brothers do and stop your sister from talking to boys."

Talon visibly relaxed a bit and kissed Quinn before he wandered over to his sister and Garen. The Demacian rolled her eyes when she heard Katarina yelling at her younger brother to get away. Quinn walked through the swinging door that Lux busted through as she tried to escape Darius. She found her friend shoving spider-shaped cooked into her mouth.

She glanced over and saw Shyvana quickly putting more cookies into the oven, slamming the door shut with her boot. Quinn wondered how she did manage to make most of the snacks out in the party with the giant dragon-like claws she was wearing. How Shyvana never managed to trip over her own long fake tail the Demacian will never guess. Quinn joined her friend by the freshly baked pastries, taking one for herself.

"Are you okay, Lux?" She asked, "You ran in here pretty fast. Does Darius being here have to do with you acting so strangely?"

"N-No!" Lux looked over at Shyvana, who was now frosting a pumpkin-shaped cake to look like a jack-o-lantern. She leaned over to whisper to her friend, "I mean it totally does but Shyvana doesn't know that."

"She's barely paying any attention to us. Watch this," Quinn said. She took in a deep breath to shout: "I think Jarvan is a very handsome man!"

Shyvana remained focused on the cake.

"There, see?" Quinn chuckled.

"I guess," Lux pulled down her cap over her eyes embarrassingly, "But can we not talk about this any more? I don't want someone else to overhear."

"Understandable," her friend patted her hand. "So, I left Talon out there to bug his sister. I better join him before she actually kills him."

"Alright, you can go. I'm just going to stay in here for a bit to catch my nerves," Lux said while she raised he hat up to look at Quinn.

The navy-haired girl waved a goodbye to her roommate while she walked back out the swinging kitchen door. As she walked back out into the main room, Quinn noticed that Jinx had spotted her. The blue-haired girl shook her boyfriend's arm furiously while she pointed at Quinn. With a mouth covered in frosting, the skinny girl sprinted over to her.

"What's up, Quinn?!" Jinx bounded around her friend, "I didn't think you'd be here too! Did you come alone? Me and Jhiny can keep you company!"

"Thank you, Jinx, but I actually came with my roommate and Talon."

"Talon? Who's that?" Jinx asked as she wiped the frosting off her chin with the back of her hand.

"He's that boy that sits next to her in our art class, doll." Jhin explained while he handed his girlfriend a napkin. "Good evening, Quinn. That's is a interesting costume you've got on."

"I'm one half of Kindred, Lamb and Talon came as Wolf."

"I see. The two parts of death. Poetic yet deadly," Jhin clutched his poncho dramatically. His girlfriend looked up at him strangle before placing the dirty, wadded up napkin back in his hand. His eyes remained closed, "Sweetheart, we talked about this. We have to put our trash in a trash bin and not in Jhiny's hand."

"Whoops, I forgot." Jinx said to her boyfriend while she shook her head at Quinn. As she giggled, the Demacian heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Talon. Jinx's pink eyes lit up, "Oh hey it's Taylor!"

"Who?" The Noxian asked.

"Quinn's boyfriend!"

"I'm not…" Talon looked down at Quinn who's golden eyes wink at him. He sighed, "Yes, that's me. But my name is Talon, not Taylor."

"Nice to finally meet you," Jinx shook his hand and then forced him to shake Jhin's hand. Talon glared at the tall Ionian. Jhin noticed the sudden hostility but ignored it with a friendly grin. Jinx released their hands, yet they remained locked onto each other, "And now you met my Jhiny! There that we're friends, let's go hang out!"

"Actually, doll, I think we should just keep to ourselves for now." Jhin said to her as his grip around Talon's hand tightened. "Jarvan did let us stay so I think it's best if we just behave and wait until the festivities start."

"Oh, alright, puddin'." The blue-haired girl groaned, "Then I will see you later, Quinny."

"Sure thing, Jinx." Quinn said to her before she yanked Talon's hand away from Jhin. Their glares remained locked on each other as they separated. When they were far away from the odd couple, Quinn turned to him, "What was that?"

"What was what," he asked brazenly.

"You glaring at Jhin like that. He never did anything to you," Quinn scolded him. The Noxian only rolled his eyes at her, making her more furious.

"Look, Quinn, I don't want you hanging around that guy. He's bad news."

"Alright then tell me, why is so bad exactly," Quinn scoffed.

"Last year, there was a news article about him—"

"Everyone gather around, we are going to start his party!" Jarvan shouted, attracting everyone's attention. He and Garen brought chairs to the middle of the room, lining them in a circle. Quinn looked back at Talon awaiting what he was going to say.

"I'll tell you another time. Right now, let's just go have some fun like you wanted." The Noxian grinned as he wrapped his arm around the groaning Quinn.

They sat down beside each other as they waited for everyone join them. They heard the sound of dragging heels coming from behind them and they saw Shyvana yanking Lux from out of the kitchen. She said something to her but nothing the couple could understand with everyone else making noise around them. The blonde shook her head, walking towards the group of partygoers. Lux sat beside Quinn, not noticing that she was also right beside Darius. The navy-haired girl giggled and decided not to acknowledge it. The lights dimmed slightly before Jarvan joined the circle.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" He asked the group.

"Draven is always ready," Draven laughed. Everyone in the group but his brother glowered in his direction, "But Draven does what to know what you are planning to do."

"Every year, we stick our hands in gross foods trying to figure out what they are. While easy to do, I didn't want to stress my beautiful girlfriend even more as she did make all those delicious snacks right over there." Jarvan explained as he pointed to the table filled with desserts and then wrapped his arm around an exhausted-looking Shyvana. "So this year, I thought I could entertain you all with some scary stories. You can join in as well with your own. I'm pretty sure Noxus, Ionia, and Zaun have some pretty interesting fairytales."

"That sounds fun!" Lux giggled.

"Awesome. So, who wants to go first?"

"Oh, oh, me!" Jinx bounced in her seat. Jarvan pointed at her, allowing the skinny girl to continue on. "Okay, so like, in Zaun we have this story of this scarecrow guy that actually sucks the life from people. He was said to have been locked up years ago but somehow he got out. There is always tales going around that a body drained of everything was found. It's always in the most remote places too. Like, he could even be… outside this cabin just waiting for one of us so he can drink us!"

"A scarecrow? Draven isn't afraid of no scarecrow!" Draven laughed again. "If Draven were that scarecrow, Draven would be running from Draven because Draven knows how to use matches!"

"You keep telling yourself that, dude." Shyvana sighed.

"That was an interesting story, Jinx. I've never heard it before." Jarvan smiled, "Anyone else?"

"I've got one," Darius said. Lux slightly jumped when she heard the Noxian's voice. Her blue eyes looked up at him as he cleared this throat. "I'm sure all of you know the story of Kalista. Centuries ago when Runeterra was still waging wars for the lands we call Noxus, Piltover, and so on, Kalista was a spearwoman who fought for her king. While on the battlefield, she was betrayed by one of her own men who was ordered to do so by the king himself. Though she was physically dead, her vindictive spirit manifested into a ghoulish green version of her former self. As a final act of revenge, she killed her king by lodging he spears into his traitorous heart. Unable to find peace after killing him, Kalista now roams Runeterra answering the calls of those who have been betrayed. She will answer only those who she deems worthy of her cause..."

Darius looked down at the Lux's fearful eyes, chuckling darkly.

"All you have to do is say speak the name of the person you wanted killed three times." The Noxian held up three fingers when he turned to look at Garen. "Kalista, hear my plea from beyond the veil! I name my betrayer once! Garen Crownguard!"

"Is he being serious right now?" Katarina growled when Darius put down his ring finger.

"I name my betrayer twice! Garen Crownguard!" He shouted and then put down his index finger, leaving his middle finger pointing up at Garen. Everyone in the group groaned while the two Noxian brothers howled amongst themselves.

"Well, go on." Garen said, "Call Kalista. She won't come."

"I name my betrayer thrice! Garen Crownguard!" Darius said again, putting down his last finger. The room became uncomfortably silent, eyes jolted around the room trying to spot the fabled Spear of Vengeance. Although, nothing ever appeared.

"See?" Garen spat.

"I knew she wouldn't come. Kalista only comes for those worthy of her spear." Darius shrugged, "You've done nothing to me personally, Crownguard. You know, only besides being a pu—"

"Okay, anyone else?" Jarvan interrupted the Noxian. He looked around the room, his pale-blue eyes resting on Shyvana beside him. "Sweetheart, why don't you tell everyone about that story you know?"

"The one about Hecarim?" She asked while she straightened herself up. Her boyfriend nodded with a huge grin. "Alright, so rumor has it that there is this huge armored horseman that tramples everything in his path. Villages, people, you name it and him and his ghostly forces stampede it down to nothing but rubble. There is proof to back this up as well. Not too far from Demacia, there is a path with—"

"Ah, Draven isn't afraid of no horse! Draven would ride that thing all the way to the glue factory!" Draven stood up, pounding a fist on his chest to signify his manliness. Shyvana glared up at the Noxian before she got to her feet. Jarvan tried to pull his hot headed girlfriend back into her seat but she yanked her arm away from him.

"Really?" She scoffed.

"Draven tells no lies."

"Okay, then go outside and taunt him."

"Draven accepts your challenge." Draven laughed as he walked to the front door. The group followed behind him, standing on the porch and watching Draven stand in the open. He opened up his arms to the mist surrounding him. "Come on, horseman! Trample down the great Draven!"

The mist around the Noxian grew increasingly thicker.

"Come on, Draven needs more glue for his collage of Draven! Draven ran out!"

"Wait, do you guys hear that?" Katarina asked while Draven continued to shout nonsense into the air. Everyone listened quietly and heard a faint pounding sound off in the distance. The group of students turned in the direction it was coming from and saw a ghostly blue illuminating the mist. A sinister howling laughter was getting closer.

It was him.

Hecarim.

"Draven knows what they do to make horses mad at the rodeo to get them to buck around. They strap their nu—" Draven bit his tongue as Hecarim's hooves collided with his face. The Shadow of War laughed maniacally as he trampled over the poor Noxian and back into the Black Mist. The group of students ran over to check on Draven who was lying unconscious in the dirt. Darius tapped his brother's face with his boot. When he didn't respond, Darius kicked him.

"Doesn't look like he's waking up. Bummer." Darius said as he turned to walk back into the cabin.

"So you're just going to leave him out here? Did you not just see what we all did?!" Garen shouted at him. The tall Noxian ignored him. Quinn noticed that Lux followed behind him and she grabbed his forearm.

"Darius, we should at least take him inside before something even worse happens." The blonde said calmly. Suddenly, the ground began to shake underneath the group of students once again. Quinn grabbed onto Talon to keep herself from falling. An army of spectral knights came stampeding towards the group, running right through them and sending them scrambling in fear.

Unable to control where they were going, Talon and Quinn ran deep into the forest along with the rest of the students…

* * *

"Jhiny?" Jinx whispered to him as she lightly shook his shoulders. Jhin opened his eyes, shaking his head lightly before looking back at his worried girlfriend.

"Jinx, doll, what happened?" He asked as the skinny girl helped him to his feet.

"I'm not sure exactly. The last thing I remember is that loud guy screaming about Hecarim and then we ended up here." Jinx looked around the open meadow they were standing in. The moon was behind the Black Mist. A rustling came from behind them and when they turned they saw a scarecrow standing over them. It had sticks for it's arms and legs and his head was a sack of hay. Jhin glared at it.

"My head may be pounding, but I know an ugly scarecrow when I see one." He growled as he walked passed it, "Come on, doll. Let's go back to that boy's cabin and then we can get the hell out of here."

"Oh, okay, puddin'." The blue-haired girl said warily as she hurried by the scarecrow. As they walked on, they continued to hear the same rusting noise. Each time they turned, the scarecrow remained in the same spot. "Jhin, I think that scarecrow is making that noise."

"How could it? It's still all the way back..." Jhin grew silent when he saw that the scarecrow was no longer where it had been.

"Who you calling ugly, ugly?" A cackling laugh came from behind the couple. They jumped and saw the scarecrow standing on its own right in front of them. It held a scythe in it's hand, swinging it at Jhin. The Ionian jumped back, landing on his back. The scarecrow held it's weapon above him.

"Don't you dare touch my Jhiny!" Jinx shouted as she revved up the chainsaw on her hip. The scarecrow turned to look at the skinny girl and Jinx slashed her chainsaw through its chest. It let out a loud cackling as it split in half and from it's wound a flock of crows flew out. Jhin jumped on Jinx to cover her from angry birds. They pecked and clawed his back but he remained still.

After a few seconds, the crows disappeared into the night sky. Jhin looked up and saw that they were gone. He glanced down at his girlfriend, seeing her smiling. His eyes jolted over to the running chainsaw in her hand and he immediately hopped back to his feet.

"Jinx," he said lowly as if to scold her. Her pink eyes widened slightly. Jhin walked over and kissed her cheek, "I'm so glad you stole that chainsaw from that Jarvan's tool shack."

"Eh, it just made sense with my zombie slayer costume."

"Come on, let's get going."

* * *

Shyvana threw Jarvan over her shoulders before she looked around her surroundings. She drove a lot through this forest to get to her boyfriend's cabin but she had never been this deep. It was dark, cold, and the Black Mist warped the trees around her. Shyvana heard Jarvan groan.

"Shyv…"

"Don't move. I have to get you back to the cabin." She felt his forehead, "I think you may hit your head on something."

Shyvana quickly began to walk through the woods, glancing all around for any sign of danger. She was careful not to move to hectically in case that Jarvan's head injury was serious. Just then she heard the same ghoulish laughing from early coming from behind her. Her dark eyes narrowed in frustration when she heard the sound of hooves coming straight for her and Jarvan.

They came to a stop.

"What do you want with us?" She asked, turning to look at the Shadow of War.

"I know the power that you hold within your soul." Hecarim answered as he slashed the air with his spear, "Fight me for your lives."

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"Fight me, dragon."

Shyvana shut her eyes to control the anger bubbling in her chest. She took in a slow breath, opening her eyes again. The Demacian rested her boyfriend against a tree and touched his forehead once more. His blue eyes blinked open before he turned to her.

"Jarvan, promise me that whatever you hear you won't open your eyes." She whispered to him. He blinked slowly at her as he nodded, shutting his eyes again.

Shyvana got back to her feet, throwing off parts of her costume and her jacket. She sprinted towards the Shadow of War, letting out a ancient roar before her body covered itself in scales and she sprouted wings. Shyvana's jaws clamped around Hecarim's arm. He grunted as he knocked the dragon away.

The dragon woman only lunged back at him, dragging him a few yards into a tree. Their combined weight tipped the tall tree and it came crashing to the ground. Shyvana hovered over the Shadow of War, opened her mouth, and blew fire directly into the cavern in his chest. Flames engulfed Hecarim's body, his once blue glow was now a bright red.

Hecarim cried out as he shoved Shyvana away. He got to his hooves, bucking around in an attempt to douse the fires. The Shadow of War stopped as the flames remained around his body and laughed. Shyvana panted as he watched the Hecarim take a few steps back.

"You win, dragon. I concede." He said as he galloped back into the mist, leaving Shyvana and Jarvan behind him.

The dragon woman kept her eyes forward before she crawled back to Jarvan. As promised, his eyes were still closed. She pushed her snout into his palm.

"Jarvan," she said. "There is something I want you to see. I want you to see what I truly am."

The rugged man's eyes fluttered open and turned to see the familiar crimson eyes of his girlfriend. He looked down at his hand under her jaw. Jarvan smiled as he pressed his forehead against her. He heard the dragon woman purr contently.

"I knew you had a fiery personality but this is another level, Shyvana." The dragon assisted him to his feet before she reverted back to her human form. "Let's get back to the cabin before something else shows up."

* * *

Garen shut the cabin door behind him and Katarina, holding it shut with his shoulder. The sentinels of the Spear of Vengeance screeched his name as they thudded against the door. He looked over at Katarina who stood there looking out the window. The Demacian could see a green glow covering her fair face.

"Kat," he said, "Get away from the—"

The Noxian ducked as a coldfire spear came flying through the window and crashed into the table of snacks. Through the broken glass, the sentinels flooded the room. They gathered around Garen and chanted his name. The Black Mist slowly followed behind them and it manifested the spectral body of Kalista. He threw a spear at Garen, sticking this shirt to the door.

"Garen Crownguard!" She shouted, "I have come to take your traitorous soul to the unending suffering that is the afterlife!"

Katarina watched as the Spear of Vengeance stalked closer to him. Her heart pounded as she jolted into the kitchen door behind her, searching for anything she could use. Her emerald eyes settled on two long knives in the sink. She grabbed it and sprinted back into the main room. Kalista raised her spear over the Demacian and Katarina rushed towards the spirit with her knives extended.

"Not in this lifetime, you green bitch!" Katarina growled, Kalista's black blood spraying across her face.

Kalista looked back but it was too late, the Noxian had shoved the blades deep into her back. Kalista screeched and her body dispersed into the Black Mist again. The knives dropped to the wood floor and the spear that held Garen to the door also disappeared. He and Katarina ran over to the broken window to see the Black Mist retreating back into the forest.

The two glanced back at each other, their eyes locking for a moment. After a few seconds, their lips clashed. Grabby hands wandered around the Demacian's biceps while his hands tangled in her blood red hair. Katarina let got of him and pulled away to take a breath. They looked back to each other, their faces a bright pink. Hearing noise coming from the porch, they looked out and saw a few of the students running towards the front door.

"This," Katarina said as she pointed to her lips and then Garen's, "Never happened. If you tell anyone, you'll end up like Kalista."

The Demacian nodded as he rushed over to open the door for Jarvan, Shyvana, Jinx, and Jhin.

* * *

Draven groaned as he lifted his head from the mud. He shook his mind free of the pounding pain he felt. The Noxian rolled over on the grass and hopped to his feet. Draven cursed as he patted the mud off his red suit. He glanced around, searching for the rest of the students.

His eyes caught a trail of hoofprints leading deep into the forest, making the Noxian growl.

"That stupid horse got mud all over Draven's expensive suit!" Draven said to himself. He followed the tracks, "No one sucker punches Draven and gets away with it! Draven will send that horse back to hell!"

Draven stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the giggling of a women. He turned and saw a beautiful, curvaceous woman standing in the mist. Her long legs stepped forward, making Draven's mouth drop. She waved for him to follow her as she walked back into the thick mist.

The Noxian sprinted after her, searching for the women when she disappeared. Draven caught of glimpse of her walking behind a tree. He caught up to beautiful woman who had waited for him.

"What is a gorgeous creature such as yourself walking out in a dangerous forest like this?" Draven asked her, leaning casually against the bark of the tree. "There is a lot of monsters running around. But don't worry, Draven will protect you!"

"I think I know a place where we can both hide," she whispered to him. The woman's long fingernails grazed over Draven's cheeks. She pointed behind her, "That dark cave is completely empty and very private."

Draven glanced behind her into the cave. His brows furrowed as he looked at the cluster of spider webs at the entrance. He looked back to the beautiful woman licking her lips before him. He shrugged as he wrapped one arm around the woman.

"Looks like a pretty safe place for Draven and Draven's beautiful lady friend to hide out in!"

* * *

Lux ran through the forest, her blue eyes looking in every direction for Jarvan's cabin. Suddenly, she came crashing into a hard yet warm object. From the dirt, she looked up and saw that she had ran into Darius. The Noxian turned to see the small girl cowering under him. His thick brow raised up at her before he lifted her off the ground by her wrist. The blonde glanced down at his hand around her.

"Do you have any idea how to get back to your friend's cabin?" He asked. Lux nodded although she really didn't. She pulled out her phone, seeing that she had fallen on it and cracked the screen.

"Darn it," she whispered to herself as she tried to tap on the shattered screen.

"What?"

"Uh, yeah we just have to find the trail and we can follow the—" A loud scream came bellowing through the forest, making the blonde jump. They both turned in the direction where it came from.

"Oh god. What the hell did that idiot get into this time," Darius rolled his eyes as he followed the scream. Lux reluctantly ran after him, tugging his arm back. He looked down at her with a hard face.

"Do... do you know who that was?"

"It's Draven," he sighed while he continued onward. "Idiot probably has his hair caught in something again."

The young blonde and Noxian followed Draven's horrid cries to a dark cave. Lux jumped when a spider rubbed it's fangs at her. Her hands grabbed onto Darius' shirt but he didn't seem to notice as he was too focused on brushing spider webs out of his way. As they treaded deeper into the cave, Draven's cries soon turned to laughter. Confused, they two ran to find him. At the back of the cave, they found him wrapped in a thick web with siders crawling all over him.

"Draven?" Darius spoke, his voice echoing in the cave.

"Bro!" Draven smiled when he saw him, "You have to get Draven out of this mess. Draven met this really hot chick and when Draven started putting the moves on her, she started talking about Draven pledging his soul to her. Draven is too young to get married!"

"I wasn't talking about marriage you dimwitted Noxian," a growl came from the shadows. The three students glanced over to a pair of long, black and red legs walking out into the little light that was in the cave. The once beautiful woman now had arachnid appendages coming from her back and full lips hid her fangs. "I was talking about you giving me your youth to keep me, Elise the Spider Queen, young."

"Whoa!" Draven shouted, "Draven was kissing a spider!"

"Moron," Elise and Darius both muttered.

"Bro, get Draven out of here! Draven can't die— Draven isn't famous yet!"

"Alright, Elise, just give me the idiot. Believe me, he won't benefit you in anyway other than achieving a daily headache." Darius said as shuffled closer to his brother. The Spider Queen hissed and shot a ball of webs at his eyes, making Darius unable to see. Lux watch helplessly as Elise stalked towards the two brothers and licked her fangs.

"The two of you will keep me young for the next two centuries," she giggled while she leaned down to lick Darius on his cheek. A fire ignited in the young blonde as she watched the spider's claws rake under his chin. Lux grabbed a large rock that was sitting beside her and she hopped to her feet.

"H-Hey, you! Get away from him!" Lux shouted at her. Elise growled as she turned to look at the young girl. Her lips grinned at the sight of her beautiful young skin.

"Well, would you look at that. Another century to add to my lifespan," The Spider Queen chuckled darkly. Her red eyes glanced down at the rock in her hand, making her laugh even louder. "What are you going to do with that, cutie? Do you know who I am?"

A cloud of smoke engulfed the spider woman and from it jumped a giant spider. It crawled towards the young girl, hissing and trying to bite her ankles. Lux tripped over herself when she tried to evade the spider's fangs. It laughed at her when it turned it's attention back to the boys behind it.

"I'll deal with you later," Elise said. Her fangs rubbed together as she focused her eight eyes on Darius once again, "I think I would have to save the better looking boy for last. I bet you taste so yummy."

"Haha, the spider called you ugly, bro!" Draven laughed.

"Idiot, I'm going to eat you fir—" Elise screeched when a rock fell on top of her head. She turned around and saw Lux arming herself with more rocks. Elise hissed as she jumped on the young girl, pinning her arms to the cold stone ground. Elise's fangs tickled the blonde's neck. Lux let out a blood curdling scream as she felt the Spider Queen's hot venom drip on her...

* * *

Quinn held onto Talon's wrist as they sprinted through the forest. They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard Lux's scream echoing though the trees. The couple glanced at each other before they sprinted in direction of the sound. They found themselves staring into the mouth of a dark cave, Talon hesitated to take a step in but Quinn dashed inside when Lux cried out again.

At the end of the cave, Quinn saw Lux being pinned to the ground by a giant spider. Without another thought, Quinn kicked it away from her friend. Elise stumbled back from the powerful blow to the face. Her red eyes focused on the navy-haired girl as she pulled now unconscious Lux away from the Spider Queen. Elise hissed before she shot a ball of webs at the girls' feet, sticking them to the ground. She chuckled as she moved towards the two friends.

Talon rushed in to see Elise just a few feet from Quinn and Lux.

"What the hell is that?" He groaned, attracting the giant spider's attention.

"Oh, another cute boy to add to my lifespan. You look even more delicious than the strong one!" Elise sang.

"Not even in your dreams, bitch," Quinn growled before she kicked dirt into her eyes. Elise hissed as she went to bite the girl but Talon ran over and kicked her fang away from Quinn. Elise whipped around and sank her fangs into Talon's leg. Groaning, Talon repeatedly threw blows into her eyes until Elise let go of him. Talon's blood dripped over the ground as he jumped away from Elise again. He managed to run up the wall, making the spider crash face first into it.

Elise growled as she shook her the dust from body. She lunged for the Noxian again but he dodged effortlessly. Having enough with the boy's game, Elise rappled upward.

As he slid across the ground, he pulled a knife from his front pocket. As Elise dropped herself over him, Talon shoved his knife into the soft spot between her cephalothorax and abdomen. The Spider Queen cried out in pain as her green blood spilled over the young man. Her body dispersed into a part of the Black Mist and it shot out of the cave. Talon looked out and saw the sun was rising and the Black Mist was retreating from where it came.

Talon looked over to the two Noxian brother tearing the webs from their bodies and then he looked over at Quinn tending to Lux. The Noxian watched Quinn brush back the girl's blonde hair and pat dirt off her dress. He hobbled over and sat beside her, putting his blade back in his pocket. Quinn lightly touched her friend's fair face before she glanced over at Talon and smiled.

"You know, this might be a bad time to ask. As we were all just attacked by the Spider Queen," Talon started but paused when Darius came walking over.

"We have to get back to your friend's cabin. I'll take the girl, you help your boyfriend." He said to Quinn, not letting her argue when he picked Lux up from her arms. He exited the caved followed by his brother. Talon waited for them to be as far as possible before he turned back to Quinn.

"You were saying?"

"I was going to ask... since everyone thinks I'm... since I just saved you... ugh..." He groaned when he couldn't find the right words. Talon looked back at her glimmering golden eyes, "Would you like me to be your... boyfriend?"

"A little fast," Quinn giggled.

"I mean if—" the navy-haired girl shut him up by placing her lips on his.

"Of course I want you to be my boyfriend, silly." Quinn laughed at the sudden redness in his cheeks. She hopped to her feet and pulled Talon up, "Come on. Let's go patch up that bite mark."

* * *

"What are you doing with my sister?!" Garen shouted at Darius from the broken window of Jarvan's cabin. He ran out and looked down at Lux still unconscious in his rival's arms. Jarvan and the rest of the students followed out after him with mugs of coffee Shyvana graciously made them all.

"I'm just carrying her back," Darius rolled his eyes. They both looked down at the girl when she started to groan. Her blue eyes slowly opened and saw the strong Noxian hovering over her. Lux yelped and Darius immediately threw her into her brother's arms. He whistled for his brother, "Get in the car, Draven. We're going home."

"Are you sure you don't want any coffee and breakfast? Shyvana would be happy to—"

"Oops, we ran out of eggs." Shyvana interrupted Jarvan as she dropped the last couple of eggs on the porch. Darius snorted while he opened the front door of his car. Draven followed after him and they hurried out of the driveway. Jarvan sighed as he looked at the broken eggs on the ground before he spotted Quinn helping Talon to the cabin. He ran over to assist her.

"What happened to Talon?" He asked.

"He saved Lux and I from the shade of Elise and he got bit," Quinn explained as they made their was into the cabin. The rested the Noxian on the couch and Quinn sat on the floor beside him.

"Interesting," Jarvan tapped his finger on this chin. He then snapped his fingers, "We have to clean up his wound before it gets infected. Talon, take off your pants, I'll go get the rubbing alcohol."

* * *

 _Notes: Dude, longest chapter, actually 8k+ words, so far and holy shit did we develop some characters... Sorry this Harrowing themed chapter came out a week before Christmas. I didn't mean for this to happen : ^)_

 _I would have finished a bit faster if a certain somebody, and you know who you are, didn't distract me with pretty much the best games of league I've had in a while. So blame him. But I will admit he did force me to write a few times. So I guess you don't have to blame him too hard..._

 _Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all tell me what you think!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	10. Chapter 9

" _He's a wolf in disguise but I can't stop staring in those evil eyes."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 9: Bad Feelings and Bad People

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Monster by Lady Gaga

* * *

Quinn held her book bag over her head as she ran across campus to get out of the rain. She hopped over puddles as her golden eyes stared at her dorm building just in front of her. Her feet slid to a halt when she saw a massive collection of water separating her and the dry building. The navy-haired girl glanced around, groaning when she saw that she had to cross through bushes to get there. It was either soak her shoes or nothing.

She sighed— Quinn knew she had to get Talon's assignment to him as fast as possible. The Noxian had caught a cold from him refusing to antibiotics. There was a bug going around the dorms for the last week. Quinn assumed that someone had caught it during the Harrowing and brought it back to campus. Talon had been sick for at least three days and Quinn has been bringing him his class assignments and medicine— which he still refused to take.

Quinn jumped when she saw a flash of light in the sky.

"Really? Lightning too?" The young artist growled while she put a foot into the bush. The loud clash of thunder shook the girl down to her bones. She looked up again, "Better hurry or else I'll get struck."

As she zigzagged through the foliage, Quinn heard a cry underneath her. She stopped when she recognized it as a bird. Dropping down, the girl listened for the cry again. She brought out her phone and switched on her flashlight. Underneath the leaves, Quinn saw deep blue feathers shivering. The bird seemed to notice her and it tried to crawl away but it's injured wing kept it from moving.

Quinn dropped her book bag as she hushed the bird. She had never seen this bird before but she could tell it was still young. The navy-haired girl took off her jacket and reached underneath the bush for the injured fledgling. It tried it's best to resist her but it slightly relaxed in the warm clothing. Quinn clutched the bird near her chest, grabbed her book bag and bolted for the dorms.

She shoved the door open with her shoulder, keeping quiet as other students were relaxing in the lounge. As she carefully walked over to the stairs, she noticed a poster reminding students pets were not allowed in the building. Quinn glanced back at the other students chatting amongst themselves before she hurried up the stairs.

The young artist kept the bird steady against her chest as she unlocked her dorm door. She rushed inside, scaring Lux who was painting her nails on her bed. The blonde watched her friend drop her jacket on her bed and frantically search around the room for something.

"Quinn, you're soaked!" Lux finally said, "Why weren't you wearing your jacket?"

"Lux do we have any boxes lying around?" Her friend asked.

"Uh, I think we may have some by the closet from when we unpacked. Why?" The blonde answered. Quinn rushed over to the closet, moving around their shared clothes until she found a medium-sized box. She turned and yanked a clean towel from the stack of clean ones and hurried back to her bed. Quinn placed the box on her bed, folded the towel inside, and reached for her shivering jacket.

"It's okay, little guy, you'll be warm in here," the navy-haired girl whispered while she unwrapped the fledgling from her jacket. Lux slightly gasped while Quinn settled the bird into the box. She rushed over to look inside and saw the blue-feathered eagle nestle into a corner.

"Quinn… explain… please." Lux said as she kept her eyes on the bird.

"While I was leaving my last class, I found this little guy in a bush. I think his wing may be broken," Quinn answered her before she went to her desk. She opened up her drawers, looking for anything that could help the bird.

"Oh, man… Quinn, you know we can't keep it here." Lux rubbed her temples.

"He has something wrong with him that is keeping him from flying," Quinn said while she pulled out an old t-shirt to put over the bird. Lux knew that animals were not allowed in the building and if one was found it would be sent to the pound and it's owners would be severely punished. The bird groaned in pain, making Lux's chest hurt.

"Darn it, okay, it can stay. But when it's wing is fixed, you have to let it go!"

"I didn't even argue with you," Quinn giggled at her friend who was pulling on her blonde hair. "Do you know where our emergency kit is?"

"No, I don't. But there is one down the hall by the fire extinguisher."

"Do you think you could go get it for me?"

"Quinn…"

"Lux, think about it. The faster we fix him up the faster he can leave."

"F-Fine," Lux said as she walked over to put on her slippers. She looked up at the clock before she hurried out the door.

Quinn lightly laughed while she sat on her bed and turned her attention back to the fledgling. It took in slow breaths while it blinked up at Quinn. The young girl raised her hand slightly to touch the bird but it quickly snapped at her.

"Alright, I'll let you be for now. But when Lux gets back with the first aid kit, you're not going to try and bite me again. Got it?"

The bird seemed to be glaring at the girl and it shoved its face back into the corner of the box. Quinn sighed while she got up from her bed. In her jacket pocket, she heard her phone ring. She reached over and retrieved it, seeing that she had a text from Talon.

 **From: Talon**

 _did you get out of class yet?_

 **To: Talon**

 _Yeah. I just got a little sidetracked. I will bring you you're assignments and medicine in a few minutes._

 **From: Talon**

 _no need_

 **To: Talon**

 _What?_

 _Why?_

 _Talon?_

Quinn heard her front door knock. She shook her head as she put two and two together. The young Demacian walked over to open it. Standing outside was Talon with his hair tied in a messy ponytail and was a pale as a sheet of paper. He pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders as he gave his girlfriend a toothy grin.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Quinn asked as she felt his forehead, "You're so hot."

"Thanks—" Talon tried to mess with her but a cough erupted from his throat. The Demacian pulled him inside and sat him on the foot of her bed. She ran over to her dresser to grab his medicine. Talon shook his head as she tapped a few capsules into her palm. "Those taste like shit."

"And how would you know how that tastes?" Quinn laughed. She grabbed his hand and closed his fingers over the medicine. "They are going to knock you out fast so you might as well just stay here for the night. I'm not letting you go to class tomorrow."

"Yes, mom." The Noxian eyed the pills warily but slowly popped them into his mouth. He stared at Quinn with the nasty pills on his tongue. "You're not going to make me dry swallow this, are you?"

Quinn groaned while she retrieved a water bottle from underneath her desk. She twisted the top open before handing it over to the Noxian. Grinning, Talon swallowed a big gulp. He leaned back on his girlfriend's bed and noticed the box. Curiously, Talon peeked inside and saw the injured bird.

"Uh, Quinn?"

"What?" She smiled while she tried to act innocent.

"Why is there a bird in your room?" He glanced back at her, "You know animals aren't allowed in the dorms right?"

"I wasn't going to let him die in the rain," She walked over to look inside the box. The fledgling flinched at the sight of the two humans hovering over it. Quinn pulled away, leaving the shivering bird alone.

"It's wing does look pretty bad," Talon sighed. "What do you think happened?"

"I'm thinking that he was trying to fly but the rain made him too heavy and he fell into the thorn bushes. He's still pretty young." She explained as she moved the box from the foot of her bed to her desk.

"You sure do know a lot about birds…" Talon yawned. His girlfriend smiled at him while she laid him down gently on her bed. He tugged on her arm, making her fall into his chest.

"Talon…"

"Come on, Quinn. I haven't been able to hold my girl for a week. Just lay down with me for a bit." He whined. Quinn sighed but complied to him by crawling on the bed next to him. The Noxian pressed his unusually warm face into her hair and chuckled.

"If you would have taken the medicine when I told you, you wouldn't have gotten as sick as you did…" the Demacian rolled her eyes but settled by his side. "How are you feeling anyway?"

Talon didn't answer.

"Talon?" She looked back at him and saw his eyes were closed. Slowly, Quinn unwrapped herself from his arms and sat up. Suddenly, she felt an itchy sensation within his nostrils. Quinn covered her nose as she let out a loud sneeze, " **Achoo!** Oh— Oh, no…"

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"F-Fine," Lux said as she walked over to put on her slippers. She looked at the clock that hung above the door— it read five in the evening. The blonde awkwardly opened the front door to avoid ruining her wet nails. She quickly closed the door behind her and then hurried down the hall. Lux saw the emergency supplies room just at the end of the walkway. Her slippers shuffled across the carpet, making a loud scurrying sound.

 _Thursday evening… no one is strolling the halls on a Thursday… Nobody will see me in my slippers and PJs._

Lux thought to herself as she rushed to open the supplies kit. Her blue eyes darted over bandages, ointment, and lollipops that looked years old. Not knowing what Quinn wanted exactly, Lux picked up the entire box and turned to run back to her room. Her face suddenly plunged deep into a strong chest.

"No running in the halls," the person she ran into grumbled. Lux froze as she recognized the man she ran into. Her blue eyes slowly lifted to meet Darius. A thick brow raised up at her in confusion when the blonde turned bright red. Lux hopped a foot away from the Noxian. His red-brown eyes narrowed at her, "Wait… you're the Crownguard daughter."

"Uh… yup… that's me— Lux." The young Demacian answered back nervously. Darius looked to the first aid kit in her hands.

"Is someone injured?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh no, my roommate cut her finger and she asked me to get some bandages for her." Lux lied to him. He scratched his chin as he shrugged.

"Alright," he said. "Where is your dorm?"

"Um, just down the hall… Why?" She asked him nervously.

"I'll walk you there," Darius answered. He put his strong hand on her back and pushed her forward.

"N-No! Y-You don't have to do that!"

"Stop talking. I'm not doing this to be nice. I wanted to ask you something." The Noxian said while he walked slowly next to the blonde. He cleared his throat, making the girl jump. "Last week…"

"Harrowing day?"

"Yeah. Do you remember anything?" He asked lowly. Lux stopped in her tracks, looking around to see if anyone was near before she spoke.

"I remember a lot of unexplainable things happening like Hecarim and Elise appearing from out of nowhere. Just thinking about them gives me the chills," the blonde rubbed her arms.

"You also helped me and my brother not get devoured by the Spider Queen."

"Oh, uh, I don't think I would consider throwing a rock, screaming, and then fainting help. But… you're welcome, Darius." Lux blushed, her blue eyes avoiding his.

"I do. So, I give you the permission to ask me of any favor."

"Huh? Wait— please, it was—"

"My father, Jericho, always says to repay anyone. Whether they show you kindness or hostility, you must give it back to them." Darius said sternly.

"Oh, well, then I'll take you up on your offer." Lux chuckled nervously while she pushed passed him to get to her door. She opened it and saw Talon lying on Quinn's bed. Quinn sat alongside him, looking over to her and Darius behind her. Her golden eyes glistened at the sight of the first aid kit.

"Thank you, Lux!" She smiled as she got up. Quinn paused to cover her nose before she sneezed. The loud sound made the Noxian on the bed jump and then cover his face with a pillow angrily.

"Oh no, Quinn, you sound like you're catching Talon's cold." The blonde said as she handed her friend the first aid kit. Quinn took the box and walked back to place it on her desk. She quickly covered her nose again when she felt the itchy sensation again.

"I think you're right. Ugh, it was bound to happen," the young artist said while she checked her mirror and saw her reddened features. She turned back to her friend, "I'd hate to suggest this but I don't think you should come in, Lux. You might catch this bug too."

"Well—"

"You can stay in my dorm if you want," Darius spoke up. His words slowly registered in the blonde's mind and she immediately turned a bright pink.

"I don't want to disturb your roommate," she chuckled nervously.

"I'm the only one in my room. That's one of the perks of late registration." Darius answered back. Lux glanced over at Quinn, who gave her a simple shrug. "If you're worried about there being only one bed, don't. There is two."

"F-Fine." Lux sighed. "I'll just grab some overnight things and my homework."

"Then I'll wait out in the hall," the strong Noxian said as he closed the door behind him. Lux dropped to her knees and pressed her face into the carpet, letting out a long groan. Her friend walked over to her and gently rubbed her back.

"What… just… happened?"

"I think one of your dreams just came true," Quinn laughed.

"Am I missing something?" Talon croaked.

"It's nothing, dear. Just go back to napping." His girlfriend said. The Noxian groggily pressed his face back into the soft pillow and let out a loud snore.

"Believe me when I say that being alone with him in his room under these circumstances wasn't the first thing i was hoping for. Heck, he didn't even say hello to me." Lux whined. She watched Quinn get to her feet and pull out some clothes from the blonde's dresser drawers. She sat up when Quinn handed her the clothes and her backpack.

"Did you think I would ever let the boy who broke my favorite cup to be sleeping in my bed? We all start somewhere, right?"

* * *

Lux slowly followed Darius into his room. She looked around the fairly empty space and spotted his dumbbells and trophies on his desk. His room was very neat and there wasn't anything on the carpet. Lux jumped slightly when Darius closed the door behind them. She watched him walk over to the corner of his room and grab his dumbbells. He sat on the edge of his bed and began to flex his arms.

The blonde took a seat on the other empty bed, opening her backpack to distract herself from him. Her hands reached in and pulled out her binder, her chemistry book, and a few pens. She rested her back on the wall and opened the book, flipping to the chapter she was assigned to read. It was hard for her to focus with Darius's rough, concentrated breathing. Her blue eyes peeked over the edge of her book and saw his large muscles contract. Lux forced her attention back on the complicated equations on the page.

After a few deep breaths, Lux finally put her pen to paper and solved a few questions on her assignment.

"So," Darius spoke, breaking the blonde's concentration. "What are you working on?"

"Just my chemistry homework. I have to list the elements in common household objects. Like salt for example..." Lux glanced up and saw his red-brown eyes on her. She became mesmerized by his hard features, the scar across the bridge of his nose from the countless broken noses he acquired from playing contact sports, and the small grin that grew on his face. She cleared her throat, "Just boring stuff."

"Didn't seem that boring when you were explaining it to me and you smiled." Darius chuckled as he got to his feet. He walked over to his dresser and pulled a few protein bars from his top drawer. He tossed one at the girl who barely caught it. The Noxian tore the wrapper and took a big bite of the hard bar, "Sorry. This is the only food I have in my room."

"I don't mind," Lux said while she set the protein bar to the side and focused back on her book. "Thank you for letting me stay here by the way."

"Don't mention it."

"I—"

"No, seriously. Don't mention it. To anyone. Word gets out that I let a girl into my room overnight and we are in some deep shit," Darius rolled his eyes.

"Imagine what my brother would say. We would both be dead..."

"You know what I don't understand," the Noxian started as he laid back on his bed. He put one arm behind his head as he continued to eat the protein bar, "Your brother is so controlling of you and you're, what, eighteen?" Lux nodded, "You should be able to do what you want without him saying shit to you."

"I mean, I'm still his younger sibling—"

"Don't give me that. Do you really thing I care what Draven does?" The Noxian sat up, "The idiot wanted to major in everything because he wants to be the best at anything."

"But were are only allowed so many units..."

"That's what we told him. He settled on being a performing arts major because he said that being an actor would ' _get Draven the most famous'._ " Darius sighed in frustration, "His words, not mine."

"I sort of assumed so," Lux giggled. Their eyes met again, lingering a bit too long this time. Lux faked stretching her arms to look away from he Noxian.

"Listen, Blondie, when you're ready to start doing things without the fear of what your brother would say, you let me know." Darius said seriously. He looked up at the ceiling and swallowed the last of his bar. Lux slightly blushed. She didn't quiet know what he meant.

"W-What do you mean?" She asked, putting her book to the side.

"I don't know. You can do whatever the hell you want and date whoever the hell you want..." Darius's brows furrowed when he listened to what he said. He glanced over to the Demacian girl and saw that her face was once again a bright red. He coughed, "Whatever Garen doesn't want you to do, just do it."

"Well, there is one thing I really want to do," Lux said as she nervously looked away. Interested, the Noxian sat upright. She giggled, "I kind of want to finish this assignment."

"Are you sure that is the only thing you can think of right now?" Darius asked, slightly smiling. The blonde nodded as she pulled her textbook back into her lap. The Noxian chuckled while he rested back on his bed, "Alright, I'll let you gain the courage for what you really want to tell me while you do your homework."

* * *

 _Notes: Who is Quinn without Valor? Also, hi, I've been busy but I finished this chapter for you loyal readers. Like, I promised you all a long time ago, we were going to get a Darius/Lux chapter... and this won't be the last one... Enjoy._

 _See you next chapter._


	11. Chapter 10

" _And she could make Hell feel just like home— so I'm never leaving her alone."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 10: Possessions

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

Yeah Boy And Doll Face by Pierce the Veil

Rescue Me by Hawthorne Heights

* * *

"Did you see there is going to be a blood moon later tonight?" Jhin asked Jinx while she sat on his lap. He scrolled down his phone, showing her the photo of a giant red moon. The blue-haired girl snatched it from his hands and squinted at the picture. Jhin chuckled, "You forgot your glasses again, didn't you?"

"That is so weird," she felt her brain beginning to ache when she read the article of just long, scientific words. Jinx handed her boyfriend back his phone to rub her temples. She groaned, "Words with more than five syllables gives me a gnarly migraine."

"I know, doll. Let's go get you something to eat," Jhin chuckled while lifting the tiny girl off his lap and onto the concrete. She latched onto his hand when he began walking. He glanced down at her, "Would you like to watch the moon—?"

"Hey, Jinx!" A loud, cheerful voice came from behind the couple.

They turned and saw a younger boy skating towards them. Jhin rolled his eyes when he recognized him as one of Jinx's friends. He was a first year named Ekko and he clearly had a crush on Jinx. Although, the girl didn't seem to notice, the Ionian noticed when he was being _more than friendly_. She had told Jhin they've been friends back in Zaun and he recently got transferred here. Jhin didn't particularly care that the boy liked Jinx, it was just whenever he was around Ekko got on the Ionian's nerves. Ekko was prone wrapping his arm around and leading her away from Jhin.

Jhin glanced down at the boy's messy attire and up at his white mohawk, criticizing his fashion choices. Not to mention his posture was slouchy and made Jhin's neck hurt just by looking at him. He had grease and oil on his gloves and oversized pants from his 'hobby' of fixing gadgets.

"What's up, Ekko?" She greeted back with a toothy grin.

"Did you hear what's happening?" He asked while holding his skateboard behind his neck.

"The Blood Moon thing? Yeah, Jhin told me." She answered back, patting her boyfriend's chest.

The younger boy looked up at the Ionian, his smile fading when they met gazes. Jhin nodded a hello at Ekko, intentionally wrapping his arm around Jinx to a reaction out of him, and he was successful. The younger boy shifted his stance uncomfortably, moving his eyes from Jhin to the side.

"No… Well, it kinda involves that." Ekko said while looking back at his friend. His grin reappeared when he saw Jinx's cute features. "People are saying that Professor Diana had an episode again this week."

"The shady astronomy teacher?" Jinx asked.

"Yeah! Apparently, her class was asking her about the Blood Moon and she began ranting about how the apocalypse is coming."

"Wait, I thought the moon just turns red?"

"Not just that. In Ionian culture, there are folktales about the Blood Moon bringing death and destruction to the lands. It also possesses people and turns them into demons. The plays they put on back in my hometown are brilliant!" He explained while Jinx looked up at him attentively.

"Eh, yeah, that too." Ekko rolled his eyes. He cleared his throat, "But no one thinks they will fire the professor even with that rumor floating around. As crazy as she is, she's a really good—"

"But, I don't want you turning into a demon, Jhiny! Maybe we shouldn't go look at the Blood Moon," the blue-haired girl cried as she wrapped her arms around Jhin's waist. Although surprised at first, the Ionian felt proud that he managed to tear away Jinx's attention away from the younger teen.

"They are just legends, doll." The Ionian chuckled, patting his girlfriend's hair. He leaned down to kiss her forehead softly. Jhin looked over at the Zaunite boy to see him glowering at him. He smirked back at him as he whispered to Jinx, "Your Jhiny will be alright."

"Anyway," Ekko said while he turned away. He kicked his skateboard down to the pavement, "I gotta get going. My next class is on the other side of campus. See you later, Jinx."

The blue-haired girl waved as her friend skated off. She noticed that Jhin had began walking away and she hurried after him, lacing her fingers with his. Jinx giggled when her boyfriend scooped her up in his arms. They shared a small kiss while other students walked passed them, some frowning at the couple's public affection.

"As I was asking," Jhin began, "Will you accompany me when the Blood Moon arrives?"

"Can we take snacks?"

"Of course we can, doll. We can do whatever we want," He chuckled, "I can't wait until it's just you and me. It'll be so romantic with nothing but the stars and moon watching us we—

"Oh my gosh," Jinx gasped. "We should totally invite Quinn and Tony to join us!"

"Babe…" the Ionian sighed while he set her back on the ground. He turned her around for her to face him. Jhin grabbed the girl's chin and looked sternly into her bright pink eyes, "Talon and I don't exactly get along. Forcing him to accompany us would most likely strain his relationship with Quinn."

"You mean, like, he would break up with her?" Jinx asked, her voice full of worry. She became saddened at the thought of her Demacian friend being heartbroken. The blue-haired girl sighed when Jhin answered her with a nod, "Okay… I won't force them to come along."

"That's my girl," Jhin praised her by kissing her nose softly.

* * *

"Apparently, it turns red when it's eclipsed and the sun is just at the right angle," Quinn read to Talon from her phone. He laid on her bed, a little uninterested. The Noxian opened his mouth to say something but his girlfriend gasped, "It also says the Blood Moon only happens a few times every hundred years and only lasts an hour in the sky! Talon, we have to see it happen!"

"Do we really?" He groaned while glancing at her.

"Talon," she said.

She let the silence between them grow as she fed the fledgling in the box. He had made a tremendous recovery and was able to flap his wing hard enough to get him off the ground. He was so brave and Quinn decided to give him the name: Valor. However, Quinn knew he was still too young to get the hang of flying so she kept him in her dorm a bit longer than she promised Lux. Her roommate told her on several occasions that Quinn had grown too fond of the bird and it would be hard to let him go when he's ready.

"I would like to go see it," the Demacian answered while patting Valor. She picked him up and placed him in her lap where he fell asleep immediately.

"When is it?" Talon groaned, knowing he wasn't going to win this.

"Tonight at midnight."

"Why is it always midnight," the Noxian rubbed his forehead. He glanced up at his grinning girlfriend. "Fine we can go. But don't expect me to go to class tomorrow."

"You don't have to because it's Friday," Quinn giggled as she got up. She walked over to him and placed a kiss on him. As Talon sat up to keep kissing Quinn as she pulled away, the Demacian placed the sleeping bird in his arms. He glared at her while she held her finger over her lips, asking him to keep quiet. "Just hold him while I put his food away. You know how he likes to be held after he eats."

"Yeah, by you." Talon growled, glancing down at the fledgling. Valor wasn't very fond of Talon and he bit him whenever he was close enough— the Noxian had the bandages on his fingers to prove it. He warily held him in his arms while Quinn made her way around the room. "Hey, where is your friend at? I haven't seen her in a few days."

"She hasn't been telling me anything after the night we made her sleep in Darius' dorm. I mean, she's not mad at me. Lux is just never here. She's gone early and come back late or sometimes not at all." Quinn answered back, glancing at Lux's neatly made bed. It looked as if it hadn't been slept in recently. The Demacian looked over to their shared closet and saw that quite a few articles of clothing were gone. "I wonder what's she's doing."

"Don't act so naïve, Quinn. We both know what's she's doing," Talon chuckled. "Your friend is seeing Darius."

"Lux? No way."

"Quinn, she's an adult." The Noxian rolled his eyes, "Think about it. We made that sweet young girl stay alone with that hulking brute at night. We don't know what happened when that door closed. They could have started having se—"

"Lux would never!" The Demacian blushed.

"What? Start having secret meetings with Darius?" Talon scoffed, "Of course she would. Didn't you tell when that Garen was always kept a close watch on her? Well, now that's she's in college, she can pretty much hide anything from him on this huge campus."

"Oh, _having secret meetings_. I thought you were going to stay something else…" Quinn let out a sigh of relief.

"Huh?" The Noxian grunted. He stared at her as he thought back at what he said. She hid her blush from him with her hand. Talon's lips turned up into a smirk, "You thought I was going to say _sex_ , right?"

"No…"

"You did," He chuckled.

"I did not," Quinn growled as she folded a clean towel into Valor's box. She sighed, "Could you bring Valor over here, please?"

Talon got to his feet and walked over to his girlfriend. They sat on the edge of her bed, his eyes on her and she had them off to the side. Carefully, the Noxian placed the sleeping bird into the box. Quinn looked inside, smiling when she saw him peacefully slumbering. She reached in to scratch him lightly on the top of his head.

Her eye caught Talon's hand next to hers as she pulled away from the bird, resting it on the side of the box. The Demacian felt her cheeks heat up while she reached over to hold his. She glanced up and met Talon's amber gaze. Quinn opened her lips to say something but she leaned over to kiss him instead.

To Talon, this kiss felt different. This wasn't the simple yet lovely kisses they shared frequently. This kiss had an underlying motive feeling to it. His mind wandered to their conversation just a minute ago and he felt his stomach knot. The Noxian's suspicions were confirmed when Quinn yanked him forward, lying him next to her on her bed.

Quinn lead Talon's hands to her sides, letting him do as he pleased. He snaked his arms around her back and pulled her closer to his chest. Meanwhile, Quinn wrapped one leg over Talon. Adrenaline now filling him, Talon pulled Quinn on top of him. Momentarily pulling away to breathe, they both looked at each other. The Demacian sat up, blushing down at her boyfriend as she straddled him.

Talon watched her reach down for the hem of her shirt. She hesitated to pull up and looked to the side in embarrassment. Quinn took a deep breath to regain her confidence but they heard a noise coming from the front door. The Demacian hopped off of Talon, rushing to go open it. She swung wooden door open and saw her blonde friend rummaging through her purse for her keys.

"Lux!" She grinned, "You're back earlier than usual!"

"Hey, Quinn." Her friend greeted back while stepping into the dorm room. Lux's blue eyes spotted a red-faced, messy-haired Talon lying on Quinn's bed. He nodded a hello to her but the look in his eyes told the girl he wasn't happy to see her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

"No, no! Here, let me take your purse," Quinn said while taking Lux's belongings, shooting Talon a scolding glare. She placed Lux's bag on her side of the desk, "How are you? I felt like I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, sorry. I've just been…" The blonde looked over at Talon as he sat upright. "I've just been hanging out with a new friend, that's all."

"Do we know them?" Quinn asked.

"Uh, yes. I'm actually going to hang out with him tonight. I just have to gather some things," Lux said while picking up a few clothes, her make-up case, and jewelry box. She stuffed her belongings into her large purse, snapping it shut when she turned to face Quinn. "If you're going to ask, you should already know. Anyways, I have to go now. Enjoy the empty room."

The young artist watched her friend hurry out the door without another word. She glanced to her side of the room, seeing now that it was almost empty. All that remained of Lux's belongings was her collection of magical girl merchandise. Quinn walked over to hold one figurine on her hand. The guardian's blonde hair reminded her of Lux.

"You alright?" Talon asked as he got up, standing behind his girlfriend.

He put one hand on her shoulder and looked at the figurine with her. The Noxian heard her sigh, knowing well that she wasn't okay. He knew that Lux was her first friend on campus and they most likely shared a lot with each other. Her just leaving with no real explanation must have been heart wrenching for Quinn.

"I'll be fine," Quinn replied, putting the guardian statue back on Lux's bedside.

Talon watched her slowly walk back to her bed and sat down. She picked up Valor's box, placed it in her lap, and looked into it. He glanced out her window, seeing the sky slowly turning from a bright blue to a mix of orange and violet. The young Noxian groaned lightly before taking a seat beside Quinn.

"Let's go see the Blood Moon together. That'll take your mind off things." He said to her. Quinn turned to face him, her saddened eyes now gleaming. She wrapped one arm around him, thanking him with a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

"Jinx, I think you should slow down on the eating." Jhin said to the blue-haired girl while she ate two bags of chips at the same time. She craned her head back in annoyance, still crunching on the cheese-flavored chips.

They sat in Jhin's car on top of Liandry's Hill, the infamous hill in Valoran where teenagers went to _get some privacy_. However, activity on the hill was low because in the recent years it attracted the law. Students were busted for public indecency and underage drinking, causing most to avoid this place. It was pretty much abandoned now but Jhin and Jinx frequently visited because of that reason.

They had the whole hill to themselves.

"But, Jhiny, the moon isn't even here yet. Hell, the night sky isn't even out." She answered back, spitting a few crumbs from her lips. She wiped the orange-colored dust off the corners of her lips, "I'm bored. Why not eat?"

"I suppose you're right, doll." Jhin shrugged before he pulled Jinx closer to him, resting his head against hers. "I apologize for bringing you up here so early. I just assumed there would be a few people scrambling to get a good look at the Blood Moon. How should we pass the time then?"

"Uh," Jinx mumbled as she tightly shut her eyes. She thought rather hard about it before she gasped. Jinx accidently sucked in a chip into her mouth, causing her to cough violently. Jhin rushed to pat her back, smacking the nacho-flavored chip from her throat. He glanced over her to see if she was okay. Jinx popped back up, "You mentioned that there were stories about the Blood Moon where you come from. Tell me some of those!"

"Oh, right." The Ionian chuckled. He leaned back while trying to remember the folktales he used to read when he was younger. "Well, the scientific reasoning behind the Blood Moon is the moon reflecting the sun's light, turning it red. It shows up only a few times in a century and it only lasts for an hour. However, in Ionia, the appearance of the Blood Moon was an omen. For example, thousands of years ago, the eclipse was followed by Noxus invading Ionia. Villages were burned, temples were destroyed, and millions perished on both sides. Other than that, there is a tale of a swordsman who was possessed by the spirit of the Blood Moon…

The story goes that he was just a wanderer, traveling from town to town to avoid his shame of betraying his village. His anger and guilt is was attracted the malevolent spirit. The night that the Blood Moon appeared, the man was in a bar. He downed more drinks than he could handle and when he demanded for more, the owner of the bar tried to throw him out. While he grabbed the swordsman by his shirt, he recognized him. The owner, squinting his eyes at him, asked 'Are you the wanted man who killed his elder?' The swordsman remained quiet, clenching his blade. A cold fire engulfed the man and a horned mask covered his face. The man's brown eyes turned a sinister red. Out of nowhere, he unsheathed his blade and sliced down every patron in the room as well as the owner. The swordsman's blade burned the building down and, when the hour ended, he saw what he had done. Thinking he had murdered the innocent people in a drunken fit, the man took his life."

Jhin glanced over at Jinx when he finished his story, seeing her pink eyes were filled with intensity to a point where she seemed angry. He patted her shoulder, trying to ease her but she pushed his hand away. The Ionian was shocked, Jinx never forced him away. She hopped up to her knees, bumping her head on the roof of the car. Jhin stifled a laugh as his girlfriend groaned loudly.

"I don't understand how something so beautiful could be so evil!" Jinx shouted as she rubbed the top of her head.

"They are just stories, doll. No need to get mad. Here, just eat for now." Jhin chuckled, handing the riled up girl her bag of nacho chips. Jinx swiped the brightly-colored bag from him and shoved her hand inside. She stuffed a handful into her mouth as she looked out the window. "Feel better?"

"Kind of…" She grumbled before swallowing. Jinx turned back to him, "But I swear to the heavens, Jhin, if you get possessed I'm kicking your ass."

Jhin let out a loud laugh, the laugh he hid from others. It was that laugh someone would call: insane. The Ionian wrapped his arm around Jhin as he calmed himself. He kicked his feet up on the dashboard while taking a deep breath.

"I would very much appreciate that, doll. I know how you hate sharing me." Both of them chuckled with the other until they heard the sound of tires crushing gravel beside them…

* * *

"Make a left here," Quinn pointed to a small dirt path covered by overgrown bushes. If she wouldn't have seen it, Talon would have drove right passed it. The Noxian swerved onto it, causing Quinn to slide in her seat. "Don't drive so recklessly, you might hit an animal."

"It would their fault for being on the path." Talon growled as he harshly turned his car down every curve the path threw at him. His eyes caught a dirty sign approaching them. He read it aloud: "Liandry's Hill? Why does that sound so familiar?"

"I'll look it up. You just find us a place to park." The Demacian said while tapping on her phone screen. She entered the name into a search engine and pulled up an old article. Quinn skimmed through it until a few words caught her eyes. She blushed, "It says this was a spot students came to make out and other things following that…"

She turned and saw that Talon's cheeks were as red as hers. Quinn looked back at the article and read a bit further. She read about the increase in arrests here due to an incident that happened almost a decade ago.

"Wait, it says a girl was killed here?"

"Oh, that's where I remember the name," Talon said. He slowly turned into a straighter part of the path, "There was a huge news coverage on it because it was so gruesome. It even made it's way onto Noxus television. The story goes that a girl was killed by her jealous boyfriend when he caught her with someone else. During that time, a lot of students came here and witnesses saw the whole thing. Police are always patrolling around to prevent something like that from happening again."

"Whoa," Quinn whispered while she looked out to the forest. "Maybe we should find somewhere else to watch the moon."

"Too late we are already here," Talon said as he pulled into a clearing. His eyes narrowed at another car sitting at the top of the hill. He saw someone jump in the car and bump their head against the roof. The sound of his car tires coming from behind made the two people in the other vehicle turn. He groaned when he recognized the Ionian artist and his blue-haired girlfriend. "God damn—"

"Is that Jinx and Jhin?" Quinn asked when she looked up from her phone. The skinny girl in the car spotted her and she waved frantically at her friend. The Demacian giggled as she waved back, "Yup, that's Jinx."

"Out of all the freaking people that could be here…" Talon growled as he parked beside them. He watched Jinx excitedly bounce in her seat with Jhin beside her not even trying to settle her down. That's when their sights connected. The Ionian smirked back at him when Talon's eyes turned to daggers.

"Be nice, Talon. Jinx is my friend." Quinn said to him, making him tear his glare from Jhin to her. His gaze softened when the word _friend_ echoed in his mind. He recalled back to her moment with Lux and how sad she was. Talon sighed, noting that a friend other than him would be good for Quinn right now.

"Fine, I'll be nice to her. Jhin, however, will get no kindness from me."

"I still don't know what he did to earn your—"

"Quinn! Toby!" Jinx yelled while pressing her face against the driver's side window, scaring the couple. She banged on the window, "Did you guys come to see the moon too?"

"We did," Quinn answered when Talon rolled down the window. Jinx smiled and ran over to Quinn's door, opening it and taking a seat in her friend's lap. The Demacian giggled, "I'm assuming you and Jhin are doing the same thing?"

"Yup!" The blue-haired girl turned and saw her boyfriend getting out of his car. He stood beside his own, keeping his eyes on her. The Ionian gave a single wave to Quinn, who waved back.

"Come on back, doll. Let the two get settled before you invade their space," Jhin called for her.

The skinny girl rolled her pink eyes but complied. She hopped off of Quinn and hurried back over to her Jhiny. Quinn watched them share the cutest kiss, with Jhin sweeping her off her feet. He sat her on the hood of his car, never breaking their embrace. The Demacian looked back at her own boyfriend, who had completely ignored the whole scene, with yearning golden eyes.

"Ugh," Talon groaned as he rolled his window back up. He shut off his car and crossed his arms over his chest. Quinn giggled while she leaned over to kiss him.

* * *

"What time is it now?" Jinx asked Jhin while they looked up at the darkened night sky.

Both couples laid on the hoods of the two cars, Jhin and Jinx on one with Talon and Quinn on the other. From Jhin's car played soft orchestral music much to Talon's distaste. If it were up to him, the Noxian would be playing one of his endless heavy metal tracks. Although he'd hate to admit it, the soft stings of the violins made his moment entangled with Quinn a bit more romantic.

He glanced down at his girlfriend, who was admiring the clusters of constellations above them. Noticing that he was staring, she gazed up at him. Quinn grinned and resumed stargazing.

"Judging by the position of the moon, and considering it's still pale, I would guess it's only eleven." Jhin answers Jinx as he pointed to the moon that wasn't fully above them. Talon rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone.

"It's 11:45," he corrected.

"Hm, maybe I was a little off." Jhin chuckled.

"Oh god," Jinx gasped as she hopped off the hood of the car. She squirmed in place as she faced her boyfriend, "Jhiny, I have to pee but it's too dark to go alone! There might be werewolves, werebears, or werewolfbears out here!"

"Alright, doll." Jhin grunted while rolling off his car. Jinx rushed to grab his hand and hastily pulled him into the woods. He chuckled as they wandered farther away from Quinn and Talon, "I warned you not to drink all that soda."

"There stars are beautiful, don't you agree?" Quinn asked. The Noxian didn't understand what was so amazing about them. Stars were just balls of burning gas millions of miles away. He didn't think too hard about them really.

"I guess," he muttered.

"Look there's Pisces, one shaped like a fish right there." The Demacian pointed out to him. Talon squinted, vaguely seeing the fish in the stars. "That's my sign. What's yours?"

"Virgo, I think." He answered. He remembered his younger sister, Cassiopeia, was very interested in astrology— she was named after the constellation with the same name. She would go on about her sign being the reason she didn't get along with ex-boyfriends. Talon knew it was more to do with her being more pretty on the outside than she was on the inside.

"Oh, Virgo is right there!" She pointed to another constellation.

"It's just looks like a messed up square," the Noxian tilted his head, trying to understand what he was looking at.

"It's an angel. The square is her body and the two stars on the outside are her wings."

"I… don't see it, Quinn. I don't have an imagination like you do." Talon replied while unwrapping himself from her and rolling over. He hopped off the hood and began walking off towards the woods.

"Where are you going?" Quinn asked while she got up.

"All that piss talk the crazies were saying got my bladder worked up," The Noxian turned. His girlfriend chased after him, grasping his wrist. Talon turned, looking down at her with confused amber eyes.

"Are you sure going alone is the best idea? Like Jinx said, there might be something out there in the darkness."

"If you're so worried, just come with me."

Talon tugged his arm back but Quinn remained latched onto his sleeve. She trailed behind him into the forest, the light of the car's headlights fading as they wandered further. Owls could be heard flapping their wings above the couple. Long grass rustled and crunched under their shoes. Quinn snapped a twig in half, causing her to fearfully wrap her arms around Talon's waist. He smirked back at her while untangling himself.

"Stay right here, I'll just go behind that tree." He chuckled, "And no peeking."

Quinn rolled her eyes while turning her back on him. She kept a watchful eye on her surroundings, noticing the abundance of wildlife. Moths flew passed her, most likely attracted to the light from the cars a good few yards behind them. The Demacian glanced up at the trees. Their leaves were so lush and thick, Quinn couldn't see the stars. She then realized how oddly quiet it was.

"Planning on going anytime soon, Talon?" She teased.

"Shut up. You're ruining my concentration."

"Quinn? Todd?" They heard Jinx's voice calling out for them followed by footsteps rushing towards them. Quinn turned back around, spotting her long braids. The young Demacian walked over to greet her and provide Talon with a bit more privacy. "There you are, Quinny. Where's your BF?"

"God," the Noxian growled. The two girls heard the sound of his belt jingling furiously.

"He's having a hard time right now. We should just let him be." Quinn whispered to her as she took her arm.

"Did he come out here to pee?"

"Well—"

"Don't worry, Tom! I can make some running water noises for you!" The tiny girl waved her arms like a flowing river, "SHHHH! IS IT WORKING?! SHHHH!"

"For the love of—"

Quinn covered her mouth to stifle a giggle while Jinx continued to aggravate her poor boyfriend. She then heard another pair of footsteps behind them and she turned to see Jhin. He raised a brow at his Jinx as she made noises at a tree.

"Should I ask what is going on?" The Ionian asked Quinn.

"Jinx is trying to help Talon, uh, do his business…"

"Aw, is someone pee shy?" Jhin cooed.

"Great, now he is here!" Talon growled as he refastened his belt.

He stomped from behind the tree, zipping up his pants. He rushed passed the trio, stopping abruptly when he spotted something in the distance. His amber eyes narrowed a faint red glow coming from a deeper part of the woods. The Noxian slowly began walking towards it.

"Talon?" Quinn followed behind him. She followed his gaze towards the red light.

"What the hell is that?" The Noxian asked lowly.

"It might be someone's campfire." Quinn grasped his hands, "Come on, let's go back. You left your keys in the car."

"That doesn't look like any campfire I've ever seen." Jhin said as he stepped forward. "It's too red… like blood."

"I have to go see what it is," Talon walked onwards, leaving his worried girlfriend behind him. Jhin wasn't too far behind and wasn't in a hurry to get there. He walked in long strides with his hands in his pockets. Quinn felt Jinx wrap her arm around hers. Her golden eyes glanced down at her smiling face. The girl tugged her forward.

"We should follow them to make sure the werewolves don't get them," she giggled.

The Demacian nodded before hurrying to the two boys. The red glow grew brighter the closer they came. The crackling of wood burning could be heard in the same direction. From the bushes, they spotted a single fire in the middle of a clearing. Quinn swallowed the feeling of dread away, knowing that nothing good came from an abandoned campfire in the woods. Her years of watching movies gave her this knowledge. She carefully looked around, spotting a lone set a footprints going from the fire to the forest.

"I told you it was just a campfire," she whispered to Talon when she got close to him. "Are you happy? Let's get back to the cars. I don't want to be here anymore."

"The fire…" The Noxian said as his eyes narrowed at the flames. "There is something in it."

The two couples ducked when the heard someone approaching the camp again. From behind the trees, walked a woman. She looked far too young to have the long white hair she had pulled back. She stopped at the fire, looking down at it with her silver eyes. The woman knelt down before the flames. Slowly, she reached inside the fire and pulled out a short blade.

"That's Professor Diana, the astronomy teacher." Jhin whispered while they all watched her gaze up at the pale moon. "What is she doing out here this late at night?"

"Considering that she just pulled a dagger from the fire without even flinching, I would say she's up to no good." Talon replied.

Diana tore her eyes from the moon and glared down at her open palm. Slowly, she placed the sharp edge in her hand and swiftly cut her skin. She hissed while staring at the blood pooling in her palm. The professor got to her feet, raised her bleeding hand over the fire, and dripped the blood into the flames. It flared up at her hand as if it had enjoyed the taste.

"Goddess of the Blood Moon, hear the call of your servant," she said while looking back up to the sky. The woman poured the rest of her blood into the fire, making it cackle loudly. "I ask for you to show yourself to me!"

The pale light shining from the moon dimmed, causing the couple to look at it. They saw the the once white face turn a deep red. Talon pulled out his phone to look at the time. Quinn glanced over his shoulder to see the screen read: midnight. Her heart sank when she heard someone chuckling.

It wasn't Diana.

From the sky, a white mask floated down. It hovered before Diana and gazed at her with glowing red eyes. Diana's hands lifted up to it, letting it decide if it wanted to be held. The mask refused with a hiss.

" _Ah, a Lunari. I thought my worshippers died out centuries ago. What is it you want with me?_ " The mask growled as it floated around her.

"I came to ask for your assistance for seeking my revenge." Diana kept her gaze forward out of respect. She knew the reputation of the Goddess of the Blood Moon, anger her and she won't hesitate to kill. "The fools of Valoran casted me out."

" _What for, child?_ " The mask snickered.

"I know you've seen what the earth has become. I serve not only you but education system." Diana explained, "I was teaching the children of you and your greatness but the head of the education said I was _acting crazy_ and wasn't fit for my position."

" _I see… and what do you want from me exactly?_ "

"Your power."

" _As I expected. If I grant you my power, what shall I get in return?"_

"Their souls," Diana knelt down.

" _Granted, my child. You have until the hour is up to harvest as many as you must for me. However, if I acquire no souls, you shall pay with your own._ " The mask warned before it locked itself onto the professor's fair face.

The fire at Diana's feet engulfed her, burning her clothes. As it faded, it left behind a traditional Ionian dress and a curved blade in her hand. Diana admired it through the mask and looked up towards the moon. She bowed before it and silently said a prayer.

"I think it's time we go before she cleaves us with that blade," Quinn whispered to the others.

"I'm with Quinn on this one… I don't want my soul to be eaten by that ugly mask." Jinx agreed with her friend.

She pulled on Jhin's shirt while she got up. Her untied laces got caught around an exposed root of a tree and when she tried to walk away, Jinx tripped. Talon and Quinn looked back to where Diana was, praying that she didn't hear the blue-haired girl slip.

She did.

" _Someone watches!_ " Diana's mask hissed, exposing her pale face underneath. Like a ghost, the possessed professor transformed into a spirit. Her spectral form hunted down the sound, circling around the fire before she shot into the sky. Jhin pulled off Jinx's boot, pushed her up to her feet, and then forward.

"Get to the car, doll!" He ordered her. Jinx reluctantly nodded and hurried back into the forest.

"Go with her," Talon whispered to Quinn. "Make sure she is alright. I'll stay behind and get Diana off your trail."

"I can't—"

"I'll be fine, just go!" The Noxian shoved Quinn. Her golden eyes looked up at the mask circling in the sky. The Demacian kissed him quickly on the cheek before she chased after Jinx. Talon sighed while he watched her run off. He pulled a knife from his pocket and glared up at Diana's possessed spirit. The Noxian pulled his hood on while he thought of what to do.

"I don't think a knife is going to do you much good here," Jhin chuckled. The Noxian looked over at him, seeing him pull a gun he had hidden on his waistline. Talon warily watched him cock it. "I don't like you, Talon, and I know you don't like me. But I would do anything to keep my girl out of harm's way."

"Same here."

"So, there are two of us and one of her. If we can distract her somehow and her into her human form, we can—"

Talon rolled out from the bushes with his knife hidden underneath his sleeve. He whistled loudly, attracting the mask to look at him. It hissed before floating down to him. He stared into its piercing red eyes, not seeing any trace of the professor behind it.

" _A Noxian! The purest form of rage and power!_ " It cackled. " _You shall aid me!_ "

The mask howled while it passed through Talon's chest. He growled in pain, clutching his chest. Jhin watched from behind as the same fire that had engulfed Diana blew over Talon. His hands grew into claws and his dark brown hair turned a blood red. A long blade grew from his right arm where he had his knife concealed, he dropped to his knees from the intensity. The fire left behind a white mask on his face when it settled back into the pit of burnt wood.

" _Now, my minion, assist me in seeking my revenge!_ " Diana laughed as she took her human form. Jhin watched Talon get to his feet and look down at his arm blade. The possessed Noxian nodded before awaiting his master's next command. " _Search the woods for any others that could get in my way and kill them!_ "

Before Talon could run into the woods, Jhin took a shot at Diana. His bullet grazed her arm, making her shoot back up into the sky. The possessed Noxian glared back at him, swinging around to lunge at Jhin. He tackled the Ionian to the ground, holding his arm blade over his neck.

" _Halt!_ " Diana called out as she reappeared behind Jhin. Talon removed his weapon from his skin, watching his master circle around Jhin. She used her crescent blade to lift his chin up, glaring down into his two-toned eyes. " _I sense a great evil in you. Very uncommon in Ionians."_

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black," Jhin snickered.

" _Be silent and serve me!"_ Diana hissed while sticking a spectral hand into Jhin's chest. Jhin felt as if his very soul was been torn from him. A fire has sprouted where her hand entered him, causing his skin to fester. The possessed professor pulled away when the fires formed a horned mask over Jhin's angled face. She chuckled, " _Now… go forth and do my bidding. Scout the forest for any souls to feed to me!"_

The two possessed spirited nodded in unison before darting into the woods.

* * *

"Do you think they're okay?" Jinx asked after Quinn finally caught up to her.

They kept running towards their cars. Quinn suggested that they call the police when there get there— she had left her phone in Talon's glove compartment. When she didn't reply, Jinx slowed her pace. She stopped, leaning on a tree to catch her Demacian wasn't used to seeing the girl this distraught. She missed the toothy grin she always wore.

"Talon is a hothead and Jhin is one of the smartest guys I know. Together I think they can take down any evil spirit teacher." Quinn tried her best to smile. She wasn't too sure if they could do it alone. What are two teenagers going to do to subdue a centuries old ghost? Regardless, the Demacian patted her friend's shoulder, "They'll be fine."

The blue-haired girl nodded while continuing to follow Quinn back to the cars. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from behind them. They were fast and light footed, as if they didn't want to scare something. Jinx was about to yell, thinking it was Jhin, but Quinn quickly covered her mouth. She pulled them behind a thick tree, listening for anything.

She closed her eyes and heard the click of a gun being reloaded. Sweat dripped from her forehead, knowing whoever it was, didn't have good intentions. Jinx squirmed in her arms and tried to break loose. The footsteps wandered back into the woods, leaving the two terrified girls behind.

Quinn released her friend but kept her hand over her mouth. She lifted a finger to her lips, asking Jinx to remain quiet. The blue-haired girl nodded.

"Jinx, I want you to go back to the cars. Drive as to the nearest police station and tell them what's going on." The Demacian said, grabbing her shoulders when Jinx's eyes filled with worry. "I'll be fine. Just go, please."

"Oh, okay…" The skinny girl hopped over a fallen log while she sprinted for the cars.

Quinn watched her disappear in the darkness. Her golden eyes remained focused on where she last saw her friend. Her ears were on high alert for the footsteps but she heard nothing. It was completely silent. Not even the owls could be heard.

Something was terribly wrong.

* * *

"Everything is fine. Jhiny is fine. Quinny is fine. Teddy is fine." Jinx whispered to herself while aimlessly running through the woods. She forgot where the cars were parked and she felt like she had been running for hours. She stopped to hang onto a tree, trying to keep her wobbly knees from making her fall over.

She gasped when she heard a twig snap behind her. Her pink eyes darted around for any movement. Things were a bit too blurry and she was cursing herself for not bringing her glasses. Jinx narrowed her eyes at a single glisten she saw in the bushes.

"Jhiny?" She called out. No response. Jinx looked behind her, unsure if she should she follow the little light. She took one step forward, "Jhiny? Is that you?"

" _Jinx…_ " A familiar voice called out to her. " _I'm over here_ …"

"Jhiny!" The blue-haired girl squealed. She darted to where she last saw the glisten and her feet landed in a small pond. Frogs hopped around from the sudden splash of water, making Jinx gasp. "Jhin, where are you? I'm scared!"

" _Behind you, doll._ " The voice whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Jhiny! I thought something bad happened to—"

Jinx froze when she was greeted by the horned mask covering Jhin's face. She looked down at his claws holding a long gun. His nails grazed over her pale skin, cutting her and drawing blood. Jhin watched the red drops drip into the murky pond water.

"You're… not my Jhin…"

" _Of course I am, doll._ " He snickered at her terrified expression.

"What… happened to you? You look all…" Her pink eyes narrowed at him. She clenched her fists, "Possessed."

" _I was merely given some power by the Goddess of the Blood Moon. I may have only a fraction of what she has… but I feel so strong._ " The mask over his face grinned. He yanked Jinx into his arms and pressed his gun to her temple. The possessed Ionian leaned down, smelling the girl underneath him, " _An energetic soul. The master will love you."_

Jinx popped her knuckles, feeling her anger bubble in her gut. She glared up into the mask's red and blue eyes. The girl couldn't see her Jhiny anywhere under it and that pissed her off.

"I thought I told you…" She growled.

Jhin tilted his head while Jinx huffed. Suddenly, the tiny girl threw a punch towards his face. She felt her knuckles crack as she smacked them against the hard mask. Jhin groaned, taking a few steps back. Jinx tackled him to the ground before wailing on him. She knocked away his gun, feeling her knuckles beginning to bleed.

"I thought I told you, if you got possessed, I'm kicking your ass!"

As she relentlessly punched him, Jinx noticed his mask cracking. With her bloody hands, the girl pulled it by its horns. She felt it slipping from her fingers so she dug her nails into it. After one hard tug, the mask came off and turned to ash in her palms.

Jinx looked back down at her boyfriend, seeing his claws turn back into his normal hands. She was cautious before she spoke. His brown and blue eyes blinked open while he groaned. He felt like he had his face bashed in with a boulder. He poked his cheek, feeling a bruise beginning to form.

Jhin glanced up at his girlfriend and noticed her glaring at him and her bloody hands. As he sat up, he felt the mud make his back stick to the ground. A loud disgusted groan escaped him while he furiously smacked it off his usually clean clothes. The blue-haired girl sitting on top of him started to break. Seeing Jhin this mad about getting dirty was always funny to her.

"You're back!" She cheered, wrapping her blood and mud covered arms around him. Jhin untangled himself from her and rolled her off. He quickly got off the ground, glaring at his dirty clothes. Jinx grinned, he would never change. "I thought you were going to kill me."

"I could never find it in this black heart of mine to kill you, doll." Jhin reached over to pick her up. His girlfriend gladly accepted his assistance. He pushed her long bangs away from her face, "We should go see if Quinn is alright. Have you seen her?"

"She stayed back to see what happened with Tucker."

"I see… You know what," Jhin tapped a finger on his chin, "When I was in my possessed state, I found my way to you by just thinking of you. If Talon thinks of Quinn as much as think of you, she might be in some trouble."

"She was this way," Jinx started running back into the woods.

* * *

Quinn silently took a few steps from behind the tree, trying her best not to make any noise. She winced at her shoes crunching dead leaves underneath her. The Demacian remained still, checking for anything around her before taking a few more steps. She balanced herself on the tips of her toes while she took cover behind another tree.

 _At this rate, I'll make it back to the cars by tomorrow night…_

Taking a deep breath, Quinn mustered up enough courage to race through the woods. She picked up speed when she heard footsteps that weren't her own. Her eyes scoured the forest floor for anything that could trip her— another movie trope she learned. But she didn't need to trip over anything…

The thing perusing her was directly in front of her.

Quinn ran face first into a strong chest. This body was familiar and she immediately felt relieved. She wrapped her arms around him, sighing. The Demacian pressed her face against him, fighting the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Talon," she smiled. "I was so worried about you."

He said nothing like Quinn expected he would. Talon wasn't the expressive type— when he did speak it was a jumbled up mess. However, she could sense there was something off about him. Dread swept over her as her memory of Diana appeared in her mind. Quinn fought herself to look up but she did.

Her eyes widened in horror when she met bone-white mask. Talon, or whatever was in front of the Demacian, reminded motionless. Quinn looked him over to his crimson hair, to his silver eyes, and to the long blade sticking out from sleeve. Talon noticed her staring at it and took the opportunity to throw her to the dirt.

Before she could refer up, the possessed Noxian sat on top of her, pointing his blade at her chest. She could see his eyes narrow at her underneath his mask. He gripped her throat, clenching tightly. Quinn takes his hands and kicked to try to get him off but he was too heavy.

"Talon, what are you doing?" She managed to choke out.

" _Taking your soul_ ," he snarled, " _For my master_ —"

A silvery-blue arrow knocked Talon's arm away from Quinn's heart. The Noxian glared down at his arm blade lying in the dirt, the arrow sliced the straps off his arm. The two of them looked over to where the arrow came from and they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Fleece the color of fresh snow stood before them while fangs growled around her. Talon slowly moved away from Quinn and to his weapon. The spectral fangs howled a warning at the Noxian, making him freeze.

"Kindred," the Demacian whispered, recognizing the two halves of death.

Lamb raised another silver-blue arrow to her elderwood bow, aiming it at Talon. Quinn gave no second thought to throwing herself in front of Talon. She stretched her arms out to protect him. The kinder side of death tilted her head while lowering her bow. She glanced up at Wolf, who still had his blue eyes on the Noxian.

"You are mistaken human," Lamb started. "This one's soul has been tainted. Those who have been touched by the Goddess of the Blood Moon have their souls stolen and eventually turn into destructive monstrosities. If we leave him alive for any longer, he will kill you."

" **He'll rip you to shreds!** " Wolf laughed.

"He won't. Please, just give me a chance to prove it." Quinn said certainly. She slightly turned to meet his cold eyes, "I know he still loves me deep down inside."

The Demacian heard tales of mortals bargaining with death either to trade their life for a loved one or the, more selfish, trying to add more time to their lifespan. However, the tales never did specify is those individuals got what they asked two halves glanced at each other, looking for some reason not to let the girl gamble her life. It made no difference to them.

"If you think he has any hope left, you need to tear off the mask." Lamb said with a sigh. "That's how the Goddess controls the afflicted."

Quinn took a moment to stare into the possessed Noxian's eyes, barely being able to see Talon underneath. She raised her hands up to his mask hesitantly. He pulled away with a growl. The Demacian wrapped her hands around the jagged ends of the mask. As she pulled, she felt its dark magic cut her skin. She could see her blood dripping from her fists and onto her Talon's shoulders.

She tugged as hard as she could. Quinn could feel Talon struggling to get her away but still he let her pull on his mask. The navy-haired girl gave one last yank and as she fell back, the mask tore off Talon's face. With an agonizing cry, Talon clutched his face. Quinn sat up, looking over him and saw that his was painfully morphing back to his normal self.

His short red hair retuned back to its long, dark brown color, his skin was no longer a ghostly white, and his eyes went from the striking blue to the soft amber Quinn adored.

The Demacian tossed the mask to the side as it began to heat up in her bloody hands. Quinn lightly touched his arm, startling him. Talon looked back at his girlfriend, clearly confused. He glanced down at the mask in the dirt beside his knife. As it turned to ash, Talon focused back on Quinn. He looked down at her bleeding hands and back up to her relieved grin.

"Quinn," he started. "What happened to me? I felt like I wasn't in control of my actions."

"That's because you were not," Lamb answered. Quinn saw her boyfriend's skin crawl when he looked back at the two halves of death behind her. Lamb stepped forward to crush what was left of the mask under her hoof, "The Goddess of the Blood Moon possessed you. Dear Wolf and I were going to kill you but this one..."

" **She got in the way!** " Wolf snarled.

"In a sense…"

"May I ask what is between you and the Goddess?"

"She is but a malevolent spirit that kills without reason. She messes with the balance of life and death whenever the moon allows her to appear." Lamb explained, "Dear Wolf and I always have to dispose of her minions every hundred years."

" **The chase isn't so fun when your prey tastes like dirt!** "

"I know, Dear Wolf." Lamb said calmly, patting his ghostly fur. As Quinn watched Lamb console her other half, she felt Talon grab her hand. She glanced back at him, seeing a blush underneath his dirt-covered, sweaty face.

"You stopped them from killing me?" He asked. Quinn's smile grew as she nodded and pulled herself closer to him. Talon chuckled, "Wow, I don't think a girl has ever done that for me. Then again, you're not like any other girl, Quinn."

"I couldn't just let them, Talon." The Demacian looked away, embarrassingly. "I think... it's just because... I lo—"

" _You!_ " A loud snarl came from behind the two humans.

Quinn looked over Talon's shoulder and saw Diana appear from the shadows. Her body slowly caught fire, turning her clothes and hair to ash— her power was fading rapidly. Lamb readied an arrow, aiming it at Diana. She clenched the handle of her crescent blade in her fist while stepping forward. The possessed professor pointed the blade at Lamb.

" _The manifestation of death, meddling with my feeding hour again I see!_ " She spat at the merciful half.

"Us spirits do not need to eat to survive, you know this." Lamb calmly replied.

" _Then what is the point of your mutt?_ " Diana moved her blade to point at Wolf, who didn't take the insult very kindly. He barred his teeth at her but Diana only smirked.

"My dear Wolf punishes those who try and run from us by devouring their very existence. You, however, just kill for nothing." Lamb pulled the arrow back, "The human you have taken over is too far to save. I must end her life before the dark magic of the moon turns her body to ash."

Diana lowered her weapon, thinking for a moment. She glanced down at weakened body, snorting at the merciful half. Her silver eyes narrowed back at Lamb before she quickly turned and bolted back into the woods. Lamb held back the restless Wolf when he tried to chase after her. He whimpered at her raised hand, begging to be given permission.

When Lamb dropped her hand, allowing him to go. Wolf gave a loud howl to the sky before dashing off into the forest after Diana. Lamb's arrow disappeared into silver-blue glitter while she lowered her bow. She walked forward, stopping in front of the mortal couple.

"Wolf isn't as merciful as me. What is left of that human he will devourer." She said softly. Quinn and Talon listened to her begin to hum. A bloodcurdling scream came from within the trees— it was Diana. Lamb giggled, "You both best getting going. Dear Wolf would be likely to tear you apart as well."

"What will you do now?" The Demacian asked while helping Talon to his feet. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders for stability.

"For now, Dear Wolf and I will be sending the Goddess back to where she came. After, we will resume our work of keeping order between the living and dead. You both have some time before we see you again." Without another word, Lamb skipped into the forest after her other half.

Quinn pulled Talon along in the opposite direction. As they walked on, they saw the moon in the sky. It's redness was gone and it was back to its beautiful pale color. The Demacian heard her boyfriend chuckling.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"All of this," Talon relied. "I don't think any of this crazy shit would be happening if I wasn't with you, Quinn."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"It may be to some other loser guys but… not to me." The Noxian stopped. He straightened up, taking his arm back from Quinn. Talon noticing her smiling, it was that smile that made his stomach knot. He cleared his throat, "Quinn… I…"

"There they are! Quinn! Tangy!" The familiar voice of Jinx called to them.

They turned, seeing the mud-covered girl and her boyfriend waving at them just a few feet away. Talon groaned when Quinn ran over to meet her and Jhin. The two girls talked about how they were relieved they were both alright and walked on, leaving Jhin and Talon behind. Jhin put his hands in his pockets casually, watching Talon make his way forward. He slowly walked beside him much to Talon's distaste.

"Did you find yourself to Quinn while you possessed?" The Ionian asked. Talon was unsure of what he meant at first but he nodded. "I'm not to sure on how the heart works but I think it was my love for Jinx that lead me to her. Maybe it's the same for and Quinn."

"That has to be it," Talon sighed while they got to the clearing. He saw Quinn waiting for him by his car. She gave him a wave to come over and he began walking. Before he could, he noticed Jhin sticking his fist out to him. He looked down at it confused.

"I know you and I probably won't ever see eye to eye but I think staying level-headed for the sake of our girls." Jhin explained, "I don't seeing us ever being as close as Jinx and Quinn but we can try not hating each other. What do you say?"

Talon narrowed his amber eyes at him, thinking back on the rumors he heard about the Ionian. He glanced back over to Quinn, who was already sitting in the passenger side of his car. She raised her brows up at him and waved for him again. The Noxian sighed while turning back to Jhin's fist. He lightly knocked his own knuckles against his.

"Sure," Talon said.

"Splendid, then I will let you get to your beloved." The Ionian said before heading back to his car.

He hopped in the front seat with Jinx attacking him with a hug. Talon could hear her shouting nonsense at him about wanting some late night food before they go home. The Noxian hurried over to his own car and opened the front door. He sat in the seat, restarting the car before adjusting mirrors and the volume of the music.

"What was all that about? Are you and Jhin bros now?" Quinn joked.

"Far from it." He sighed while backing out of the clearing. Talon looked at the clock on his dashboard and saw it was a little bit passed one in the morning. "Do you want to go get something to eat? Pretty sure Annie's is open at this time."

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

The Annie's restaurant the couple found themselves in was empty other than the three employees behind the counter. They were going to close up until Talon and Quinn walked in. Startled by their dirty faces and bloodstained clothes, the employees treated them to a free meal. The only female cashier even wrapped up Quinn's hands with the first-aid kit they had in the back room.

Talon silently chewed on his hamburger while listening to Quinn talk about Kindred. She did know a lot about the Eternal Hunters. If it wasn't Quinn talking, he wouldn't want to be hearing about the spirits he had a close encounter with. She took a sip of her soda before continuing.

"Lamb is just a calm and collected as the stories says she is."

"Quinn, as much as I enjoy hearing you speak… I have something I've been meaning to tell you." He spoke up. Quinn blinked but focused on him while bringing the straw up to her lips again. Talon cleared his throat, "You and I have been together for a while now… and the holidays are coming up… and my father will most likely be home by then… I'm just wondering if you would come and meet him. I know he would just adore you."

"I'd love to, Talon."

* * *

 _Notes: Wow, this chapter is 10k words. I hope you guys are still awake to read my little notes at the end._

 _First— how did I figure out the champion's birthdays? I used their release dates! On that note, the most compatible out of all the featured couples I have here are Zed and Syndra. (Them being Scorpio and Virgo. I'll let you all go check that out and you'll see why I always make chapters with them in it... steamy.)_

 _Second— did you know this chapter original started off with Quinn and Talon meeting the other's parents? That WAS the case and then the Blood Moons skins were announced... So I guess you can tell how long this chapter was under construction, right? Also, I originally wanted to make this a two-parter but I said "screw it, its already like 6k."_

 _Third— Answering Questions I Know You Have- Rapid Fire Edition: Yes, Darius and Lux are secretly seeing each other. No, this isn't the only time we will see Ekko. Yes, Diana is dead for sure. No, this isn't the only time we will be seeing Kindred. Yes, we will find out why Talon doesn't like Jhin. No, I don't think Jin will ever call him by his actual name. Yes, Quinn and Talon almost let the L word slip. Yes, Annie's is a the League's version of Wendy's. I hope I covered everything._

 _I hope you all enjoyed! Feedback is always appreciated!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	12. Chapter 11, Part 1

"There's no thing I'd keep from you."

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 11, Part One: Family Matters

* * *

Songs of the Chapter:

The Moon Song by Karen O

* * *

"Quinn, sweetheart, you have not gotten off your phone since you got here. Who are you talking to?" Quinn's mother, Sylise, asked over her shoulder. She stood by the stove, cooking her daughter's favorite meal: homemade raviolis. The whole kitchen smelled like tomatoes and spices— it was good to be home again. She poured more tomato sauce into the pan, stirring the large spoon around while she waited for Quinn to finish texting.

"Huh?" The young artist mumbled as she looked up from her phone.

Her mother lightly chuckled, patting her hands clean of sauce before she walked over to her. Quinn flipped over her phone when it vibrated on the table. She felt her mother rub her shoulders— Quinn knew her mother was about to make her speak. Her tactic was always to message her or brush her hair to get her to relax. Ever since Quinn cut her hair short, Sylise could only rub her shoulders.

"I asked you who you are messaging so much? Is it a boy?" The older woman snickered. Quinn's eyes flickered over to her noisy phone, silently praying for it to stop.

The young artist had asked her boyfriend to take care of Valor while she visited her mom for a couple days. She was in the process of explaining how to feed the bird without getting bitten but Talon managed to anyway. He sent her of a blurry photo of Valor with his beak around his fingers. The bird was ready to leave their care but Quinn wanted him to say longer just to be sure.

"You're turning red. Now I know it's a boy."

"He's a friend."

"Bologna, Quinn. I'm your mother, don't try and lie to me." Their matching golden eyes glanced to the vibrating phone. With lightning speed, her mother snatched the phone from the table. Quinn, gasping loudly, tried to take it back but froze when Sylise held her phone over the pot of boiling sauce.

"You wouldn't," the young artist whispered as she watched her mother carefully. The way Sylise held the phone with only two fingers made Quinn anxious.

"Who is he?" Sylise smiled mischievously. As Quinn remained silent, her mother loosely dangled the phone over the pot.

"Ugh," she groaned as she took her seat back at the small dinner table. Quinn put her hands over her face while she took a deep breath, "His name is Talon and he's my boyfriend."

"Oh, Talon? He sounds so cool!" Her mother laughed. Two images appeared in Quinn's mind: Talon with a knife opposing the Spider Queen and Talon wrapped up in a blanket with tissues stuffed up his nose.

"He… has his moments." Quinn rubbed her temples.

"How long have you been together?" Sylise asked.

"It's hard to pinpoint exactly where but I'd say a little more than four months. Our first date was in October but I'd say we both started belonging to each other before that." The young artist answered, thinking back to the moment she and Talon settled their differences with a handshake.

"Adorable," her mother chimed while placing her phone back on the table. Quinn quickly picked it up and checked it for any saucey fingerprints. Her phone vibrated again and she read Talon's text.

 **From: Talon**

 _did you talk to your mom yet?_

 _about you know?_

 _the thing?_

Quinn looked up at her mother continuing to cook with a conflicted expression.

Her and Talon came up with an idea for both of their parents to meet. Marcus was already back from his business trip and Quinn's mom wasn't working at the moment. They suggested Snowdown would be the perfect time. However, Quinn was unsure how her mother would react to Talon being a Noxian. Her father was a firm hater of Noxus and she assumed her mother was too since she married him.

Quinn tapped a response.

 **To: Talon**

 _Not yet._

 **From: Talon**

… _come on quinn…_

 _my dad is only here for a couple more days_

 **To: Talon**

 _Trying…_

 **From: Talon**

 _well hurry_

 _bc im outside_

 _bye_

 **To: Talon**

 _WAIT WHAT?!_

 _TALON?!_

Quinn looked up from her phone to her mother. Sylise danced while dropping more spices into the pot. The young artist hopped that it was the hot stove making her sweat. Quinn popped her knuckles and cleared her throat while she searched for the will to speak up.

"Uh, mom, there is something I need to tell you about Talon…" Just then, there was a knock at the door. Patting her hands free of food before walking out of the kitchen, Sylise hummed sweetly. Quinn tapped another response to her boyfriend.

 **To: Talon**

 _I swear to the heavens Talon if that's you at my door I'm going to kill you!_

 **From: Talon**

 _:)_

"Quinn!" Her mother called from the front door.

The young artist bolted from the table, down the short hallway, and stopping at the open door. Her eyes narrowed at her Noxian boyfriend casually leaning on the doorframe. Talon gave her a small wave, the cocky look in his amber eyes challenged her. Sylise smiled at her daughter's burning red face.

"What a surprise! Talon came to see you," she giggled.

"Actually, I came to talk something over with the both of you. If you don't mind," he politely asked. Sylise opened the door wider for him, giving him the permission to come in.

"Of course you can! Quinn take him to the kitchen. We can talk while I finish cooking." Her mother said as she closed the door behind Talon. She walked on back to the kitchen, leaving the two teens behind. Quinn waited for her mother to get out of earshot before she smacked Talon's arm.

"Ow!"

"What are you doing here?!"

"Watch," Talon smirked. He followed Sylise back to the kitchen, taking in the smell of the delicious home cooking. Quinn slowly walked in after him, watching him take a seat at the table.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about, Talon?"

"It's actually rather important. It involves you, Quinn, and my own family—"

"Oh no, Quinn…" Sylise flipped around, clutching the blue apron on her chest. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"W-What? No!" The young artist shouted. Talon, embarrassed, pressed his face into his hands. Sylise ran over to her, touching her daughter's abdomen. She took her child into her arms, cradling her while she wailed.

"Sweetheart, how many times have I told you, if you become intimate with a boy you have to use contraceptives!" Her mother said. She groaned, "Maybe I should have bought you those condoms when we were school shopping. I blame myself."

"Mom, I'm not pregnant! We haven't even..." Quinn stepped away from Sylise. The older woman looked between the two crimson-faced teens, alarm leaving her golden eyes.

"Oh good," Sylise sighed as she took a seat at the dining table and fanned herself. "Sorry if that got a little dramatic. What was it you were going to say, Talon?"

"Well..." the young Noxian looked up from his hands, his gaze avoiding both the females in the room. He took in a deep breath, "Things have become serious between me and Quinn and I thought that it would be appropriate if our families met…"

"What a classy young man you brought home, Quinn." Her mother smiled. The pot on the stove bubbled, making Sylise hop up to switch off the heat. She stirred the food around, "I would love to meet him. When would be the best time?"

"Actually, I invited you both to join our family's Snowdown dinner tomorrow evening." Talon explained, "We always take a dinner to reminisce about the year since it's the only real time my family can sit down together for once."

"It would be an honor," Sylise said over her shoulder while she got bowls out from the top cupboard. She poured the raviolis into them before bringing them to the table. She smiled, "We can talk more about it while we eat. Come sit down, Quinn."

As her mother went back to clear the mess on the stove, Quinn sat beside Talon at the table. Their eyes met momentarily before they embarrassingly looked down at their food. However, Talon did reach over to grasp her hand underneath the table.

* * *

The young artist wasn't too surprised that her mother agreed to come over to Talon's home in Noxus. They would have spent Snowdown alone in front of the television, rewatching old holiday movies again. It wasn't that Quinn didn't like spending time with her mother it's just that she knew Sylise deserved better.

Her mother was always alone after the divorce to Quinn's father. She and Sylise lived off the giant checks he sent them. However, it was only a fraction of what he made in Demacia's Capital as a government official. Sylise said her ex-husband always gave what was needed. Quinn knew deep down he wouldn't have sent anything if he didn't feel guilty about leaving them when Caleb died.

Quinn looked out the backseat window towards the Noxian hillsides. The forest was thick around here too. She would love to go exploring before it started to snow.

Quinn admired the large, three-story tall house they pulled up to. She wouldn't even consider it a house it could have been a mansion. The iron gates wrapped in thorned plants opened for Talon's car as he drew closer. Inside she saw four other expensive-looking cars, once she recognized as Katarina's black corvette.

"What a beautiful home," Sylise said as she looked up at the dark stone colored mansion.

"That's what my dad's market got us." Talon grinned as he dashed into a open parking spot in the furthest corner of the driveway. He took a moment before turning off the car. The Noxian turned back to them, "Don't freak out but we have employees that work for us."

"Ah, young Talon!" A well-dressed man said from the front door.

Quinn was sure this older looking gentleman wasn't Talon's father. Marcus had red hair like Katarina while this man had grey hair slicked over his clearly balding head. The man trotted down the steps leading to the house and over to the car. Just then the young artist noticed two women in long black dresses and white aprons hurrying out after him.

"You have a butler and maids?" Quinn asked.

"My mother lived a life more luxurious than the one my dad provides her with…" Talon answered, obviously embarrassed. He popped open his door, "Just treat them like employees, that's what they are paid to do."

"Welcome home, young master!" The two women greeted in unison. He waved to them before turning to the older butler.

"I brought guests with me for tomorrow's dinner. My father doesn't know," he said. "Have you seen him, Walter?"

"Ah yes, your father is up in his study working on his computer. He said something about ordering a new lot to build a new store." Walter tapped his chin as he remembered what Marcus had told him. "It's quite a milestone, wouldn't you say?"

"It is but I need to see him now. Do you think you could help these two ladies inside while I go talk to him?"

"Of course, young master." Walter bowed as Talon hurried past him.

The older man waved to the two maids behind him and then rushed over to open the doors for Quinn and Sylise. As the two Demacians stepped onto the pavement, the two maid grabbed their bags they had packed in the backseat. Talon suggested that they stayed the whole weekend and they packed accordingly.

"We could show you the empty rooms if you'd like miss," one maid said to Quinn.

"Emily, wait for Master Marcus to meet them first. You and Sophie can just place them things inside for now," Walter waved them to the front door. As the two girls made their way up the short stairs with the bags, Walter turned his attention to the confused Demacian and her grinning mother. "Master Marcus should be down in just a few minutes. Let me escort you inside."

Walter walked up the stairs to the large front door. Sylise was eager to follow him into the large mansion but Quinn remained in the driveway. Her golden eyes surveyed the home. It was glorious but it confused her.

 _How could one little grocery store support all of this? Is Marcus a bank robber who has never been caught? Maybe he's the leader of the Noxian mafia?_

Quinn shook her head, ignoring her suspicions. Rubbing her arms warm from the nipping chill, she hurried inside. It was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and there was a large staircase in the middle of the room, spreading off in two directions. She couldn't help but admire it all.

She saw her mother chatting with the two young maids, overhearing her say something about Quinn being Talon's girlfriend. They giggled in unison after admitting the Demacian was his romantic interest. Walter, just behind the three women, nodded at Quinn with a smile. The young artist blushed while looking away.

"Ah, so this is the girl?" A deep, proud voice asked from behind the young Demacian.

She turned and saw Talon walking along a man slightly taller than him. He had burning red hair and green eyes with faint wrinkles underneath them. The man smiled widely in her direction before he patted Talon on the back. He leaned over to whisper something in his ear, making the teen groan with a blush. Talon lead him to her while avoiding her eyes.

"Father, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is my father, Marcus." The young Noxian introduced them finally. Marcus reached out to grasp the girl's hand.

"It's nice to meet you," He shook her hand. Quinn looked over his scarred knuckles but nodded with him.

"Yes, Talon says so many good things about you." She added, glancing over to him. He was watching his father and his girlfriend shake hands nervously but remained silent. Footsteps behind Quinn made her turn around.

"And I'm her mother, Sylise." The older woman said, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Ah, I see where Quinn get her looks," Marcus winked. He looked over at the two maids with luggage in their hands, "Talon says you two are staying for the weekend?"

"U-Uh, if that's okay with you, father!"

"Of course it is! The holidays are meant to spend with the people you love. You do love this girl, right Talon?" Marcus asked. The younger Noxian looked between him and Quinn, his cheeks inflaming slowly. Quinn's gut knotted as she waited for him to speak. He opened his mouth to answer.

"I d—"

"Father!" A shrill voice said from atop of the staircases. All eyes turned to spot a girl with long brown hair and yellow-green eyes glaring down at them. She put her hands on her hips angrily, "Katty took my favorite leather boots again!"

"I'll buy you a new pair, Cassie. Come over here and meet these two beautiful ladies." The older Noxian waved her over.

Quinn heard Talon groan as his younger sister flipped her hair over her shoulder. As she strutted down the stairs, Quinn could tell she wasn't happy to see her or her mother. Her eyes darted up and down Quinn's body, most likely judging her outfit. Quinn was dressed in casual black jeans and a dark blue cardigan while Cassiopeia wore a snakeskin dress with a long fur coat and tall heels, looking as if she was going out.

"Cassie, this is Quinn and her mother Sylise. Quinn is your brother's girlfriend," Marcus explained, pushing his daughter closer to the Demacian so they could shake hands.

"Girlfriend?" Her well-groomed eyebrow cocked up at her, "Why would you ever want to date Talon? He's the worst."

"Like you're any better…" Talon muttered under his breath.

"Oh, let me guess." Cassiopeia smirked as she circled around Quinn, eyes narrowing. She scoffed, "You're pregnant, obviously. Holidays are a great way to break the news."

"Cassie—"

"I guess I'd have to thank you for popping my brother's cherry." The younger Noxian shrugged, "He is always so moody. I guess you banging him could loosen him up."

"Cassiopeia Du Couteau!" Marcus shouted, shaking the entire room. Unfazed, his daughter looked over her shoulder to him. "Go upstairs until you can act kindly towards your brother."

"Don't think so, daddy. I got a date," Cassie popped gum into her mouth before she walked towards the front door. She gave a simple peace sign to everyone, "Later, bitches!"

Quinn glanced over at her boyfriend and saw that he was as red as blood. Noticing her staring, he turned his attention to her. Both of them heard Marcus sigh as he scratched his stubbly chin.

"I apologize for my daughter. She's has been acting out ever since her mother died." The older Noxian explained as he made his way towards the stairs. He waved the group over to him, "You met me. Why not meet her?"

Quinn, unsure of what he meant, stayed behind everyone as they followed Marcus. She heard the sound of a car being started outside and she walked over to the window. Peeking out, she saw Cassie sitting in the front seat of her green sports car. She wiped away black tears and searched her purse for more makeup.

* * *

Quinn managed to catch up with the group as they stood at the end of a dark hallway. Marcus held his hand over the doorknob, taking a moment to gather himself. Talon noticed Quinn walking over and she grasped his hand.

"Alright," Marcus said lowly as he opened the door. "This is the room my wife and I shared."

Immediately, Quinn was overwhelmed with the smell of roses. The older Noxian was the first to enter with Sylise and the maids following after him. Walter held the door open for Talon and Quinn. Her golden eyes met a table with a framed portrait of a beautiful woman and a small urn before it. Her hair was a long dark brown and hazel eyes.

"She's gorgeous," Quinn whispered.

"Yes," Marcus smiled. "Her name is Celeste. Celeste Du Couteau."

"May I ask what happened to her?" Sylise asked.

"Mother was diagnosed with heart cancer about a year ago. It only took a couple months for it to eat her alive." Talon started. Quinn could feel his hand trembling. "Grandfather didn't want to assist us in paying for her chemotherapy and she died shortly after."

"Celeste asked to be cremated so she could remain in the home she loved. Her father resents me for my past. It was my fault he was so cruel to my Celeste." Marcus rubbed his forehead before stepping towards the door. "I need to go back to my study. Walter, give these two ladies whatever room they please. I'll see you all at tomorrow's dinner."

They watched Marcus exit the room with head hung lowly.

* * *

"It's not surprising that your room is on the top floor, Talon." Quinn joked as she followed him up the last of the stairs. At the end of the thin hallway was a messed up door with multiple posters and warning signs over it. She rolled her eyes, knowing it had to be Talon's room.

"I'm the only one that lives on this level." He explained while pulling keys from his client pocket. Talon unlocked his door before kicking it open. He turned before letting her inside, "It's my own little bird's nest."

Stepping out of Quinn's way, she walked into his bedroom. Curiously, she glanced around at all the posters of various video games. Talon had numerous consoles of different generations stacked on different shelves accompanied by matching games. He had gadgets everywhere including a dance pad that had Ahri's face on it.

"Ahri has a dance game?" Quinn asked while pointing to it.

"It's fun." Talon blushed, "I'll let you try it out."

"I don't think I could even attempt it," she stopped him.

"Yeah," the Noxian shrugged, "You couldn't even come close to my top scores anyway."

"Hey, uh, where is Valor?" Quinn asked while looking around the room for any clue to where her bird could be. Her golden eyes caught the sight of cardboard underneath Talon's bed. She hurried over and carefully pulled it out.

"Wait, no, that's—"

Quinn's face became pale at the sight of a barely clothed woman on the front of a magazine. She had a small bikini that hardly covered her and she was soaking wet. The young artist lifted it up to see others more like it in the box. She slid the box back under his bed.

"Big Busty Bikini Babes? Talon, really? You know ninety-nine percent of those women are fake, right?"

"Father knows how to access our search engine history…" The Noxian covered his face in embarrassment while Quinn got up from the floor. He cleared his throat, "C-Come on… I left Valor in my bathroom."

"What's he doing in there?"

"When I was washing the generous cut he gave me, he swooped in and hid in my shower." Talon explained while he showed his girlfriend his bandaged thumb. He waved her over after stepping out of his room. Just a door away was Talon's bathroom. He stopped before opening it, "I… don't want to go in there."

"Fine, you stay here." Quinn rolled her eyes at his fear of being attacked by Valor again. She opened the door and saw the angry eagle perching on the shower curtain. The Demacian tried coaxing him down with her hands open to him. "Come down, boy. That nasty Noxian won't hurt you!"

"Me hurt him?"

"I bet you haven't ate and that's why you look so grouchy, huh?" Quinn cooed, "Come down and I'll get you some crackers."

Hesitant at first, Valor flew down and perched himself on Quinn' shoulder. She grabbed him in her arms, where he flapped his wings around angrily. Talon entered the bathroom, only making Valor flap more furiously. The Noxian growled at him.

"Hey, settle down before I make Walter turn you into dinner!" He warned the bird. As Talon shook his finger at him, Valor tried to snap. He gasped as he held his hand to his chest, "You little shit!"

"You're just making him mad, Talon!"

"Kids, where are— oh!" Sylise said as she came up from behind them. Her golden eyes glimmered at the young bird in Quinn's arms. She wandered closer to him, "Who is this?"

"Huh? Oh, this is Valor. He's an eagle that I rescued." Quinn answered as she looked down at the bird. To her surprise, Valor stopped fidgeting while he stared back at Sylise.

"May I hold him?" Her mother asked, opening her arms out. Quinn glanced down at her boyfriend's cut up hand, hoping Valor wouldn't do the same to Sylise. She sighed while handing him over to her.

"Watch your fingers. He likes to bite."

"Nonsense," Sylise grinned down at the navy-feathered fledgling as she cradled him like an infant. The two teens were surprised that the bird was letting her hold him so delicately. Sylise giggled as she scratched him under his chin, "He is so precious!"

"I'm surprised he's behaving like that. He's usually really fussy when he's hungry," Quinn watched her bird blink away sleepiness.

"I can feed him!" Sylise volunteered.

"Uh, sure, mom." The Demacian shrugged, "Are you sure he won't be too much trouble?"

"Sweetheart, I've had two kids. Twins to be more specific. Caring for a baby bird should be easy as cherry pie." Her mother hummed while she exited Talon's bathroom. The two teens watched her walk down the hall and stairs as she patted Valor.

"Please tell me you just witnessed all of that?" The Noxian blinked as Sylise disappeared from sight.

"I did. But I trust my mother with Valor," Quinn sighed while she stepped out of the bathroom. She let Talon join her before she continued on to his bedroom, "Caleb and I were … a handful growing up. I remember him swallowing a whole rock because he thought it was candy. Mother spent a few good hours with him in the bathroom..."

"Children are the worst," Talon said disgustedly.

"I wouldn't mind having one or two." The Demacian smiled. Both of them looked over at each other, blushes creeping over their cheeks when _thoughts_ appeared in their head. Talon faked clearing his throat to make noise between them.

"So, uh, we have nothing planned until tomorrow evening. Want to do anything with me?" He asked while closing his bedroom door behind them. Noticing how vague his words were, he hurried over to his shelves full of games. He picked out a multiplayer fighter, "We could play this?"

"Oh, that is an old game we had. I'd love to play," she grinned.

"Alright, let me set up the console." Talon mumbled while he unplugged various things from outlets.

With his back turned, Quinn decided to get another look around her boyfriend's room. A picture in a frame caught her eye. She walked over to get a better look. It was a professionally taken portrait of him and his family. She could tell it was taken years ago since Marcus had less wrinkles and Katarina's and Talon's hair were a lot shorter. She noticed that Celeste was holding Cassie in her arms, making Quinn's mind wander.

"Cassiopeia was very close to your mother wasn't she?" She asked. Quinn smiled as she noticed that Cassie and her mother looked very similar and they were even dressed the same in the photo.

"Yeah," he replied. Talon flipped on a few switches until the nostalgic title screen appeared on his television. He sighed as he looked around for controllers, "They were inseparable considering she was a miracle baby. Mother thought she couldn't have kids after Kat so they adopted me."

"Celeste is similar to _celestial_ isn't it? That's why Cassie is named Cassiopeia, right?"

"I suppose," Talon shrugged while sitting on the plush carpet. He quickly pressed buttons and got into the character select screen. His amber eyes dully looked around for someone to play as.

"I'm not being too invasive, am I?" Quinn asked again, taking a seat next to him. She took a seat beside him, taking a controller for herself. Not surprisingly, she chose the character that had bird-like qualities.

"Not at all. You tell me everything, why should I keep anything from you? Don't worry, you could never be too invasive with me." Talon assured her. He smirked while their characters loaded into the battle stage, "I promise not to go too—"

Talon gasped as Quinn mercilessly pummeled his character into the ground before tossing it off stage, earning herself a point.

"Sorry, what?"

"Now you've made me mad, Demacian."

* * *

 _Notes: Okay, we have some problems... Sylise doesn't know Talon and his family are Noxian. Quinn isn't sure if Marcus really is just a business. Cassie is out of control. How will we resolve these problems? Next chapter of course :)_

 _Also, if you are wondering where the names Sylise and Celeste came from... Sylise is my main character in World of Warcraft. Celeste is just a beautiful name. Cassiopeia is the name of a star constellation so a name meaning "celestial" just fit perfectly._

 _See you next chapter!_


	13. Chapter 11, Part 2

" _I know I'm not that perfect but you stay awhile, baby, then you will see._ "

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 11, Part 2: Family Matters

* * *

Song of the Chapter:

When You Can't Sleep At Night by Of Mice & Men

Food Is Still Hot by Karen O and the Kids

* * *

" _Do I need to wear anything nice?"_ Quinn remembered herself asking Talon as she looked upon the dark blue dress she brought along. It wasn't flashy yet it wasn't boring. It was just a sleeveless, blue dress that ended above her knees. Still, she decided to wear a black cardigan over it just to be modest—her collar was a little lower than she would have liked.

" _Not if you don't want to. I'll definitely be wearing something casual."_ That was Talon's answer. The Demacian could see it in her head already…

 _Talon's messy hair and signature purple jacket doesn't really scream dinner with the family and future family._ Quinn looked blankly at the dress when she realized what had just crossed her mind. _Wait… future family? Can I really see Talon and I together for that long?_ The Demacian shook her head.

"Come on, Quinn. You've only been with him for like four months." She tapped her forehead as if to scold herself. The Demacian groaned, falling into the bed in the guest room she was staying it. Her face turned to the dress lying beside her and she reached over to straighten it out. Quinn felt her stomach flip, "Then again… four months could easily turn to eight… and then a year… and then a decade."

A knock at her door nearly made her shout. She was so deep in her thoughts, Quinn took a moment to gather herself before she hurried over to open it. She peeked out and saw Walter standing in the hallway, his hands elegantly at his sides.

"Master Marcus would like to see you in his study." He said. Quinn suddenly felt very nervous. There was a long, awkward silence between the two before the Demacian mumbled while she thought. Marcus seemed like a nice man but he gave off that vibe he could snap a neck without hesitation.

"He does? Just me?"

"Yes," Walter nodded, "If you're planning to do so now, I will happily escort you there."

"Oh, uh…" Quinn contemplated for a moment, "Sure. Give me a second, please."

"Of course, my lady."

The Demacian sighed as she pressed her back against the door and slid down to the carpet. An unsettling amount of reasons flew in Quinn's mind for why Marcus would want to see her. What did he want to ask he that he couldn't at dinner tonight?

 _He's probably going to ask if me and Talon are using… protection._ The young Demacian felt her face heat up at the thought of that conversation starting. _Seriously, if it's not that everyone assumes I'm pregnant._ Quinn rolled her golden eyes at the idea. She got off the floor and patted dust off her jeans. _I better go set the record straight then._

Quinn opened the door to see Walter waiting patiently for her. He gave her a warm smile before wordlessly leading her down the hall. The Demacian shut her door behind her before following him. Down the stairs to the first floor, a left in the first corridor, and the doors on the right was Marcus' study. From the thick, wooden double doors, Quinn could tell it was a huge room from the outside. Walter knocked on the door twice.

"Master Marcus, young Quinn is here to see you."

"Come in," they heard him answer.

Walter opened one door for her, letting her step inside alone. She turned to thank him but he had already shut it. Quinn moved her cautious gaze back to Marcus, who was sitting at his desk reading papers. He glanced up at her and removed his glasses.

"Sit down, Quinn." He said while pointing to a burgundy leather seat in front of his desk. Marcus looked back down to his work while she hesitantly followed his order. She sunk into the chair, hearing the seat squeak made her flush. Quinn waited for him to speak but he kept reading. Finally, he chuckled. "You've been a straight A student all your life it seems."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your grades from the past ten years: they're excellent. Take a look for yourself," The red-headed man handed her a small stack of papers. She took them and quickly scanned over the words. There they were: all the grades far back as middle school.

"How did you get these?" Quinn asked, silently panicking.

"I… have my ways. I don't mean to scare you, Quinn. I just need to know who my son is involved with." Marcus said while picking up more files. He read them out loud, "You're an art major. Interesting. You've volunteered at your local animal shelter several times. And… you're Demacian, correct?"

"Y-Yes."

A thick brow raised up at her while he wordlessly asked for the files. Quinn was quick to hand them back over. Their eyes never left each other. Marcus neatly arranged the papers back into a small pile before he crossed his arms. He let the quietness grow between him and his son's girlfriend. She sunk further into her seat, causing the leather to make that unflattering sound.

"You're frightened I know so much, correct?"

 _Is this an interrogation?_ Quinn could feel her palms begin to sweat.

"It's nothing everyone else doesn't know," Quinn forced a smile.

However, it did scare her. She remembered Talon saying that his father had ways of checking his search history on his computer. It was odd that a man who runs a supermarket could have so much power. Why he needed to keep that information on his kids was beyond Quinn. Was he a control freak or was he looking out for them?

"Talon didn't tell me you were Demacian."

"W-We were planning to let you know during dinner. Mother doesn't know Talon is a Noxian, either."

"She knows we're not in Noxus, I'm assuming. The outskirts look nothing like smog-covered cities. It's… nice out here." Marcus said as he turned in his chair to look out the window behind him. His emerald eyes focused on the rain clouds gathering over the thick land of trees. The older man sighed while focusing back on Quinn, "Celeste suggested we move out here… for the children."

"Did she not like Noxus?" The Demacian asked, a slight fear raised in her gut when she realized she probably asked too much. To her surprise, a small grin appeared on Marcus' face.

"We lived in the capital the first few years of our marriage but we moved when she got pregnant. She was a new mother feared the pollution would do some harm to our baby." Marcus chuckled but he slowly frowned. Quinn saw his teeth grind under his thin beard, "She did it to get away from her father as well. After Katarina was born, he did everything in his power to get Celeste and her to move in with him. God, he hates me so much…"

The older Noxian's fist clenched over his armrest. Taking a deep breath, Marcus seemed to relax but not much. His eyes wandered over to his desk. A framed photo of Celeste in her wedding dress smiled back at him. Beside it was another photo of Celeste with Katarina, Talon, and baby Cassiopeia in her arms. The two older children were arguing over something in the background while their mother kissed her baby sweetly.

"He wanted her to marry a rich man with a name more recognizable than Du Couteau… but she fell in love with the boy from the supermarket."

 _So there is prejudice for everything… but love still prevails…_ Quinn smiled at Marcus reminiscing about his late wife.

"Since I've told you about myself. Would you do me the honors and telling me about you and your family?" Marcus asked kindly. He grinned, "And don't try to leave anything out. I know more than you think."

"Well… my father and mother married at a young age— twenty-five I think." Quinn gulped while she watched Marcus for anything that could suggest he wasn't happy with her answer but he remained still. She cleared her throat, "Mother had me and my twin brother about a year later."

The Demacian continued to tell Marcus about her life before Caleb's accident. She had a simple family: a working father, a stay at home mother, and two school-focused children. She explained that their life was so typical it was almost boring yet they were all happy. Her father made enough money in his government position to afford a nice home in the suburbs. Everything felt like a book and like all books, it had a twist.

"Do you know what happened with my brother?" Quinn asked, her golden eyes on her hands lying on her knees. Her newly-painted nails scratched at a hole in her jeans while she awaited Marcus' response.

"I do," the older Noxian answered while shuffling around the papers on his desk. He held one in front of his eyes, making it hard for Quinn to see expression. "June, a few years ago, very early in the morning. Two cars were reported to be an accident in the intersection of Bami Road and Jaurim Street. Head on collision. Both were smashed beyond repair and it left one Demacian boy dead."

"And you know the cause?"

"The driver of the other car was under the influence. While he was drastically over the legal limit, he was only put on probation." Marcus put the paper back on his desk face down. He glanced back at Quinn and saw her eyes blinking away tears.

"I think that was one of the reasons that caused my father to leave my mother. Their marriage was fine until that… idiot decided to take our Caleb away." The young Demacian nails dug into the fabric of her jeans, "Sometimes I think he didn't really care about us. Now all he does is send us a check. That's it. No words, just his dirty money."

"A real man would have have stuck with his wife and family through the harshest of times. Any man can be a father but it takes real effort to be a dad," Marcus sighed, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his exhausted looking eyes with his fingers, "I didn't mean to upset you on the evening before Snowdown but I needed to know who you were."

"It's alright… I understand." Although, Quinn didn't really fully know why Talon's father was so secure with his children. Maybe it was because they were the only thing he had left of Celeste. She wouldn't probably never understand.

"I've tortured you enough," Marcus said, "So I have one last thing to say…"

Quinn looked up at him, her gut twisting from the extreme nervousness. He mind raced with things he could say. Would he say she couldn't see Talon anymore? Could they date behind his back? No. If he had access to her past he would most likely be able to follow his own son around. Quinn couldn't picture herself not being with Talon. The only moments they were apart is when they attended different classes or when they slept in their dorms. Having that huge part of her life taken away from her crushed her heart like a hammer would an egg.

"I don't see any problem with you continuing to see my boy. In fact, I think you're a great influence on him." Marcus admitted with a huge grin, "He seems a lot less angry."

"He can still be a bit crabby at times but I don't mind."

"It's part of the reason you love him, right?" The older Noxian laughed at Quinn's shocked expression. He cleared his throat before speaking again, "I would appreciate if you didn't tell Talon what we spoke about today."

"You have my word."

* * *

Quinn's face reddened as she walked upstairs to Talon's room in her blue dress. They agreed on meeting downstairs but she wanted him to be the first to see her. She patted out any wrinkles in the skirt before knocking on his door. It took him twelve seconds to open it— she counted out of pure nervousness.

Talon stopped halfway from exiting when he spotted her cute dress. He glanced around her outfit with a flush forming over his cheeks. Quinn smiled sweetly enough to almost stop his heart.

"Hi," she chimed.

"Hey," the Noxian said as he closed his bedroom door behind him. "I've never seen you in a dress before."

"Does it look bad?" Quinn asked, looking down at her clothes.

"No, you look beaut... er, great!" He answered, "If anything you make my outfit look unsightly."

The Demacian glanced down at what Talon was wearing. Black jeans, dark grey shirt, and a purple sweater— exactly what she'd expected him to wear. She grinned while reaching over to fix his inside out hood. Her hands lingered on his neck for a moment while she admired her boyfriend's amber eyes.

"We can always find you something different."

"You would like to see me change out of this, wouldn't you?" Talon snickered while lifting his arm for Quinn. Instinctively, she linked her own arm with his and they made their way down the hall. She rested her head against his shoulder lovingly.

"I talked to your father not too long ago," Quinn said out of the blue. She felt her boyfriend tense up.

"H-Huh?" The young Noxian stopped before they went down the stairs. "What did he say to you?"

"I promised him that I wouldn't tell you. However, he didn't say I couldn't tell you we had a nice conversation."

"That… doesn't make me feel any better." He shuddered.

"Don't be so nervous, Talon. It wasn't anything bad. In fact, it was pretty great." She pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek, "I can see why you think highly of him."

The Noxian groaned as he continued down the stairs with his girlfriend on his arm. While getting to the first floor, the couple noticed several members of the Du Couteau cooks rushing into the dining room with clean plates and eating utensils. They remained out of their way while they panicked to get everything finished before Marcus came.

"Ugh, they still aren't done yet?" A snarl came from across the room.

Quinn and Talon glanced over and saw Cassiopeia glaring at the help. She flipped her hair over her shoulder before she rudely walked into the dining room. As she shoved open the door, she nearly missed hitting someone carrying a stack of plates. Talon rushed over to hold the door while Quinn helped the man stabilize the wobbly stack.

"T-Thank you," he said before he carried the plates back to the kitchen.

"Great, Cassie seems to be in one of her moods again." Talon rolled his amber eyes.

"When isn't she?" They heard Katarina chuckle behind them. "At least dinner will have a bit of spice, don't you agree?"

"Cassie is more like salt than spice," Talon sighed. The younger brother took a minute to stare at his sister, "Hey, I thought you were going out tonight? I remember father telling me that."

"My date said he needed to stay with his family since his sister isn't there." Katarina explained with a frown. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "Like I know he puts his family first, it's just… I was hoping to get out."

"Oh, a date?" Quinn's eyes glimmered, "Do we know the guy?"

"Yes but that's all I'm going to say on the matter," The redhead adjusted her leather jacket. Her emerald eyes looked down at the Demacian, "Damn that dress is cute. It really shows you're not flat-chested. You should let me borrow it sometime."

"U-Uh, sure!" The Demacian chuckled while Katarina circled around her and nearly pulled up her skirt. Talon stepped between them before she could however. Quinn clawed onto her boyfriend's chest as Katarina mumbled something about the skirt's length.

"You know blue isn't your color, Kat." He said, a blush slowly creeping over his cheeks.

"Eh, I guess you're right. It's kind of scary that you know that." She grimaced, "Come on, let's get a seat as far away from Cass as we can."

The trio stepped inside the beautifully decorated dining room and took a moment to admire what was inside. Festive scented candles lined the arched windows, their flames flickering when someone passed by it. Holiday wreaths spread across the room accompanied by red, silver, and gold ornaments. Quinn reached over to playfully tap a low hanging silver ornament and she caught Talon's reflection staring back at her.

"Father strictly asks that we hang these colors when decorating." He explained while walking Quinn to the extravagant table topped with a pure white cloth and eight chairs all around it. The young man pulled out her chair before he sat beside her. Katarina took a seat beside her brother, all three of them faced Cassiopeia. She glared at them but they ignored her. "He says the colors represent his children. Kat is red, I'm silver, and Cassie is gold."

"Personally, I think Cass doesn't deserves gold. She's more like a copper," Katarina whispered to Quinn but loud enough for her sister to hear.

"Why because I love money or is it because my tan is flawless?" Cassiopeia's long, obviously fake lashes batted at Katarina.

"Neither. You're a copper because you are the cheapest metal around," the eldest daughter pointed to the back of her throat and gagged, making both Talon and Quinn stifle a snicker. Cassiopeia glared over at the couple, her eyes narrowing more at Quinn. Uncomfortable under her gaze, the Demacian shifted in her chair.

"Settle down, you two." Marcus said as he came into the dining room accompanied by Sylise. The older Noxian pulled out a empty chair for her before taking a seat. Quinn smiled at the familiar kind gesture.

"Oh, Marcus, it's beautiful in here!" Sylise eyes wandered around the room.

"My thanks, Sylise." He grinned at the older Demacian while looking over to Walter who was standing near the farthest wall. Marcus waved him over, "Walter, tell the cooks to bring us all something to drink."

"Daddy, can I get some champagne?" Cassiopeia asked, picking up a fancy glass beside her empty plate.

"Sweetheart, you know you're not of age yet." Her father answered but one look at Cassie's pleading face, Marcus sighed. "I guess one glass won't hurt. Walter bring out a bottle, would you?"

"Of course, sir."

"It's sickening how Cass always gets what she wants, whenever she wants." Katarina whispered to her brother.

"True. Father didn't even let me have a beer when I was her age."

"Not like that stopped us before," his sister nudged his elbow and laughed. Quinn blankly looked over at Talon, earning him a playful shake of her head.

"Quinn, Sylise, you are both our guests this evening. As a family, before dinner we all share what we were grateful for this year." Marcus explained, earning a few sighs from his children. He smirked at their uncooperativeness and pointed to his oldest, who shook her head. "Katarina, you start and next will be Cassie."

"Uh, alright. Um," Katarina squinted her eyes as she thought about what she was thankful for. She shrugged, "I guess I'm happy I got another year of school left."

"You said last year you were thankful for there only being two years of school left," Talon mocked her. Katarina stomped on his foot under the table.

"Hey, last year you said you were happy a remake of your favorite game was released."

"At least mine was different," her younger brother chuckled.

"If you two are done fighting, I would like talk now." Cassie spoke up, making her siblings looked from each other to her with a hard glare. She faked clearing her throat cutely, "I am thankful for my dream job finally accepting me into their training program."

"Really, Cassie?" Marcus grinned, "I'm sure Piltover's Modeling School has just gained a top student. Sylise, why don't you go next?"

"Sure, well, let's see. There is a few things that I am thankful about this year. I'm thankful that my beautiful daughter got into the school of her dreams and how she found the most handsome boy in all of Runeterra!" Quinn's mother grinned at the red-faced Noxian across the table. Katarina and Quinn both snickered at him while Sylise went on, "And I am thankful for my wonderful house in Demacia. It took us three years to unpack everything but—"

"Wait, you're Demacian?" Cassiopeia asked. When Sylise nodded, the youngest Noxian sneered. "So that means you're a filthy Demacian too!"

"I don't understand…" Quinn's mother looked over at Marcus.

"Mom, Talon and his family are Noxian." She said, "We wanted to tell you when we were back at home but we were so quick to bring you to meet Mr. Du Couteau."

"I have nothing against them sweetheart, it was your father who had a blind hatred for them." Sylise said, glancing at Katarina and Talon, who looked embarrassed for their sister's unwarranted prejudice.

"You went to Demacia, Talon?" Cassie scoffed, "You dirty Demacian lover. You know what grandfather says about someone who associates themselves with those… pieces of shit."

"Cass, shut up!" Katarina warned, looking from her younger sister to her brother. Talon calmly kept his eyes on Quinn, making the Demacian mouth a ' _what do we do_ ' back at the redhead. Quinn knew Talon was boiling under the collar. If Cassiopeia didn't stop, who knows what Talon would do.

"Make me!" She shot back, throwing a glass of cold water at Katarina. The eldest daughter jumped up from her chair, wiping her smeared black makeup down her cheeks.

"You bitch!"

"Talon, I suggest you break up with this animal," Cassiopeia said, gesturing to Quinn. "You don't want to make halfling children with it. Ew, then again, a proud Noxian wouldn't even want you for even holding hands with that thing. Grandfather says Noxians should stay pure-blooded to hold their honor. But, I think you lack that by dating her."

"Cassiopeia, that is no way to speak to your— Talon?" Marcus ceased scolding his youngest when Talon jolted up from the table. He knocked over his chair in rage before he busted through the dining room doors. Quinn glanced at Katarina and saw she was glaring at her sister. Noticing her staring, Katarina looked back at the Demacian. Her emerald eyes gestured for her to follow Talon.

"Quinn, where are you going?" She heard her mother call after her while she got up.

Quinn chased after Talon as he crashed through the front doors of the mansion. He hastily check his pockets for his car keys as he breathed heavily. The Demacian watched from on top of the steps as he forced open his car door, knocking it harshly against the bushes right beside him. A single yet very vivid memory appeared in her mind while she looked at her enraged boyfriend fumbling to leave:

The memory of her brother the night he passed.

Quinn rushed down, panicking that he would even think about driving in his mood. The vision of Caleb slowly turned to Talon on the hood of that car. The sickening vision of her beloved boyfriend with his amber eyes dull and his blood splattered against the windshield. Quinn felt like she couldn't run fast enough as he opened the door. Her mouth was too dry for her to yell. As she got closer to him, it felt as if time itself was going in slow motion. She wrapped her arms around him, keeping him for getting inside.

"Let go, Quinn." He demanded.

"No!" Quinn shouted into his back.

"Don't piss me off more than I already am!" Talon snarled while trying to untangle himself from her. When he released himself, Quinn pushed herself in front of him to block him from the front seat. He glared down at her and that's when she saw sickened glare. Unfazed, she held up her arms.

She had never seen him so furious. The closest time she had ever seen him angry was when a jerk cut him off while they were leaving the school parking lot. It was just a short burst of emotion but now he looked like he could smash a boulder in his hand.

"Talon, you can't drive like this!" Her voice rose along with her own emotions. That horrible sight of Talon remained in her mind. She stared into Talon's eyes, unknowingly thankful they were still bright.

"I am capable of doing anything without you babying me!"

"Stop it, Talon!" Quinn shouted again. Her hand shot out for the keys in his hand. They fought over them for a few seconds but Quinn managed to get them from him.

"Give me my keys, woman!"

"Talon, if you need to leave, let me go with you."

"No, I need to be alone!"

Quinn took in a deep breath to control her emotions. Shouting at him while he was this angry wasn't going to make him see reason. She shook her head while hiding the keys behind her back. Her now watery golden eyes looked up at him. She watched him glare at her with an open palm. When she tried to reach out to hold his hand, he yanked it away. That little action tore her heart in half.

"Talon, listen. I don't think you can drive with this rage." She explained in a more calm tone, "Let me drive. We don't have to talk. You can ignore me. I'll take you anywhere you want. I just need to know you're safe. I don't want someone I love to get into an accident again."

Without speaking, the Noxian huffed out an irritated groan. However, he nodded and accepted her request. Talon walked around the car to the passenger's side and sat in the seat. Quinn sighed with relief— she really think he would listen to her. With a slight smile, she sat behind the wheel.

* * *

Quinn could see Talon glaring out the passenger side wind from the corner of her eye. He was still understandably upset of what happened not too long ago. Talon had asked her to drive by not really where to but she kept along the quiet road that twisted through the woods. She thought the beautiful scenery would calm him. The sun was about to set—Quinn gave it an hour before it was completely dark outside. As she breathed out, she saw her breath. With a shiver, she turned to Talon.

"Are you cold?" She asked softly. The Demacian had never seen her boyfriend this upset.

"No."

"Uh, well, I am. Do you mind if I turn on the heater for a bit?"

"I don't care," the Noxian growled as he sunk lower into his seat.

Carefully, Quinn reached over to the control switches and turned up the heat just a bit. She heard the heater kick up and less than a minute later she felt the air warming up around her. Now fully focused on the road, Quinn noticed the woods opening up with the trees spreading out. She passed by a traffic sign that read: Valoran 5 miles. The Demacian looked down at the car's gas gauge and saw that it was below half full.

She put her foot on the pedal, deciding quietly that she was going to put gas in Talon's car. Quinn smiled at the city she recognized. She turned onto the road that lead to the freeway. The Demacian took the more slower lane, she preferred not to go faster than needed. Her and Talon were in no hurry to be anywhere and she wanted him away from Cassie.

Her mind wandered while she turned into a thinner street. Small shops lined the road, Quinn recognized the area. Viktor's Auto Shop and Gas Station was just a further down. The man who worked in the shop was rumored to build robots when the shop closed but no one had ever seen the fabled machines. However, the only thing that Quinn could have thought to have started that rumor was the mechanical hand that Viktor had on his back. It wasn't fully functional but she did see him use it to hold flashlights. Quinn hurried up the slope that lead to the station and she parted by a tank. She turned off the car, taking the keys with her. After closing the door behind her, Quinn leaned down to the window.

"I'm going to fill up the tank," she said to her boyfriend, who was still glaring out the window.

Quinn rushed into the shop, glancing at the snacks placed around the store before getting to the front counter. She she Viktor fiddling with a screwdriver and greasy car radio near the back table. He heard her walk up and he rolled his chair over to her, he lifted his goggles.

"Greetings," he said in his thick, unrecognizable accent. "What is it you want to day, girly?"

"Just some gas," Quinn answered, placing enough money on the counter to fill up Talon's car up completely. Viktor's oil stained hands counted the cash and nodded. He punched a code into the register and then waved Quinn off. She frowned at the unfriendly man. That's how he was all the time. Quinn assumed he just didn't like people. As she glanced back at him, she swore she saw his mechanical hand waving goodbye to her.

Facing forward, Quinn saw that Talon had stepped out of the car and was pumping gas into the car. She gulped as she went to join him. Warily stepping closer, she saw that Talon's hand was nearly clenching the gas nozzle shut. The Noxian turned when he felt her staring but turned back to watch the gas meter. His brow arched up at the price getting higher and higher.

"You feeling alright?" Quinn finally asked.

"Never been better," he sarcastically answered back.

The Demacian sighed while leaning on the car. It was silent for a moment until the gas tank rang that it was done pumping fuel into the vehicle. Quinn wanted to get him to talk but she wasn't too sure on how to do that. She didn't want to bring up what happened back at the mansion and she didn't want to bring up something boring like the weather. Her face picked up from the ground when she finally thought of something.

"Your father said he liked that I was with you," Quinn said, smiling when she saw her boyfriend's eyes light up.

"Huh?" Talon mumbled while sticking the hose back in the holster.

"When we spoke earlier. He talked… well it more like an interrogation at first but it ended nicely. Your father wanted to get to know me and when he did, he said he would allow us to see each other."

Talon released the gas hose and wiped his hand on his jeans. He crossed his arms over his chest while tapping his foot on the dirty concrete. The young Noxian scratched the back on his neck while taking a deep breath. Quinn began to feel nervous. Was this another one of Marcus' tricks? Did she purposely tell her not to talk to Talon about what they had said yet telling him ahead of time? Did she fail?

"To be very honest, Quinn. I would blindly follow anything my dad says but…" He turned slightly to look at her, his face hardened with seriousness. "I'd disobey him to remain with you."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. With you, life seems a bit strange but in a good way." He trailed off, looking out to the busy street in front of them while searching for how to continue, "I mean… How can I just leave the girl that helped me fight the Spider Queen? How could I say goodbye to you when you saved me from a soul-hungry moon demon?" Talon began to laugh, "God damn it, Quinn. You stopped death from killing me!"

"When you put it that way," she smiled, "I do seem like a lot of trouble to keep around."

"I don't care and you know why?" Talon said, grabbing her shoulders.

"W-Why?"

"Because I… I…" Talon bit his lip harshly. "I..." Talon's voice was drowned out by a truck driving passed on the street. It blared it's horn at a smaller car that cut it off in their lane. Talon glared over at it and took a deep breath again. As he opened his mouth, the car that had been honked at was honking back at the larger truck. The Noxian screamed, "God damn it! I love you, Quinn!" He roared, making the other people pumping gas at the station look in their direction, a few of them snickering and awing.

The Demacian's eyes widened slowly before she pressed her face into Talon's chest. She wrapped her arms around him, giggling. He looked down at her, his nose in her hair. Quinn lifted her head, kissing Talon softly on his chin. After a moment of silence, they gazed at each other.

"I love you too, Talon."

* * *

 **To: Talon**

 _I'm glad Walter had food for us when we got back._

 _He's a really nice guy._

When the couple arrived back at the Du Couteau mansion, Walter waited for them by the door. Quinn couldn't guess how long he stood there but when they returned it was almost ten in the evening. He explained that Marcus had scolded Cassiopeia severely for the mess she started at dinner however he didn't mention how. Walter also said that barely anyone ate after that and they were all in their rooms. The older butler heated two plates for them and let them eat alone.

 **From: Talon**

 _yeah he's cool sometimes we talk about sports and stuff_

 _reheated mashed potatoes and pie aren't as bad as i thought they would be_

 _hey quinn?_

 **To: Talon**

 _Yeah?_

Quinn watched her phone screen tell her that Talon was typing and erasing whatever he wanted to tell her. Rolling her eyes, she turned in her bed while she waited. The Demacian sat up for the glass of water she had on the desk beside her. Before she could swallow, her phone vibrated. Quinn grabbed it and read the message on her lock screen.

 **From: Talon**

 _come up to my room?_

 _i want to see you_

 **To: Talon**

 _You know if you wanted to see me we could just video chat?_

 **From: Talon**

…

 _no after what we talked about… i NEED to see you_

 _don't make me explain why you should already know_

 **To: Talon**

 _But my bed is soooo waaaarm…_

 **From: Talon**

 _quinn_

 _please_

Quinn stared at the message on her screen for while, thinking back to a few hours ago. Talon really poured out his heart to her earlier so she could at least go see what he wants. She tapped a quick ' _okay_ ' before rolling out of her warm mattress. Quinn slowly put on her slippers before walking out to the hallway. She left her cardigan behind because she was just going to end up staying with Talon.

It was late in the night so she tiptoed to the stairs leading to Talon's room. The Du Couteau mansion wasn't as beautiful in the darkness, in fact it was terrifying. The paintings along the walls seemed to watch Quinn as she passed by them so she kept her eyes forward. The wooden floors creaked underneath her feet, making the young artist tiptoe faster. She hurried up the steps, rubbing her arms as she got closer to his bedroom door.

She didn't knock before she entered, Quinn just wanted to get warm again. As she closed the door behind her, she looked over at Talon sitting up in his bed. Quinn gave him a quick smile while she walked to sit beside him. She crawled under his covers, not taking her eyes off him.

"What did you want?" The Demacian asked while adjusting the warm blankets over her legs. She shrugged before lying completely flat on the mattress. Her golden eyes batted up at him, making him feel the same nervousness from earlier.

"I just," Talon glanced away while he hesitated to lie next to her. He rested his head on the pillow beside his girlfriend. The Noxian has slept in the same bed with Quinn before but this felt different. He sighed as he attempted to regain his nerve, "I just wanted you here… because I… love you."

"Does it still feel weird to say?" Quinn asked, her thin brows furrowing. She knew that her boyfriend wasn't the expressive type and him even saying those three words twice in one day would be considered a miracle.

"Not at all. I… I'll get used to saying it without pausing."

"If we say it enough, it'll come as natural as breathing." Quinn giggled as she leaned over to kiss him. She could feel his how hot his face was and that made her smile wider.

"I believe you." Talon cracked a grin before pulling the covers over both of them. Quinn took her spot right by his side, draping one arm over his chest and resting close to him. The Noxian relaxed, "And I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

 _Notes: This one took a bit longer than usual to write because I wasn't too sure where to lead this one. The end was a lot different in my mind (and if you know me, you'd know what I mean teehee) Honestly, I think it's okay. Also, what do you think is up with Marcus?_

 _Feedback is always appreciated!_

 _See you next chapter!_


	14. Chapter 12

" _Sorry I missed your party, I wish I had a better excuse. Like... I had to trash a hotel lobby… but I was busy thinking about boys."_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 12: Long Nights

* * *

Song of the Chapter:

Boys by Charli XCX

* * *

Sunlight peeked through Talon's curtains, glaring into his face. He groaned while he woke from his comfortable slumber. The Noxian went to lift his arm but he felt a sudden heaviness keeping it down. Looking over, he grinned when he saw his girlfriend. His movement stirred her up from her sleep as well. She blinked up at him with heavy golden eyes. The rays of light shined onto her indigo locks, making them as blue as the ocean.

"Good morning," he said, grogginess apparent in his voice. Talon's other hand reached over to grab her chin, bringing her close. She pushed herself up to kiss him softly, giggling into his lips.

"Morning," Quinn answered back when she pulled away.

"Well this is just precious," another voice said in the room. The couple jumped up from the mattress to see Katarina leaning against the bedroom door. Her hair was tied back and she was without makeup. However, that didn't dull her smirk. "I don't understand how you could kiss someone with such bad morning breath, Quinn."

"What are you doing in here?" Talon asked, annoyed that his sister ruined this moment with his girlfriend. He then leaned away to check his breath in the palm of his hand.

"I came to see if you guys came back," Katarina answered, stepping away from the door. Her face became suddenly serious, "Cassie left this morning."

"What? Does it have anything to do with what happened last night?"

"Yeah. She called her grandfather, told him everything, and she's staying there until she goes to Piltover next year." She glanced to the side and tucked loose hair behind her ear.

"How's dad?" Talon asked, making his sister's stance suddenly uncomfortable. Quinn looked up at her boyfriend, seeing the hurt and concern in his amber eyes. She just wanted to console him.

"He's furious… but not at you two. Just Cassie. He said that running wasn't what a Du Couteau does." Katarina scratched the neck, "Also Happy Snowdown." She said awkwardly before opening the door behind her and stepped out. The Demacian kept her eyes on Talon, watching for anything.

It was quiet for a good minute. All Quinn heard was the beating of her own anxious heart. This isn't how she thought the holidays with Talon and his family would go. She felt guilty— like all of this was her fault. However, she would keep that to herself. There was no need to bother Talon with it.

"I should probably go talk to father," he mumbled while running his hands through his hair. Quinn didn't know what to say but she put her hand on his shoulder to assure him she was there for him. Talon sighed deeply before kicking the covers off his body.

"Should I go too?" Quinn asked, trying to follow him off the mattress.

"No," he stated while holding her still. Talon looked around his floor and found his jeans from yesterday tossed near the wall. He pulled them up his legs hastily, "Just stay. I'll be back."

And with that, he was out the door. Quinn groaned, resting her head back on his pillows. She couldn't deny Talon's bed was insanely comfortable— she even felt her eyes beginning to shutter close again. Yet, she awoke when the bed began to vibrate. Her phone. Quinn's hand searched the sheets for her smartphone and she found it under her butt.

"Who the hell is—" Quinn stopped at the name of the incoming call. She braced herself with a quick breath. The Demacian swiped her phone and pressed it to her ear, "Hey, Lux."

"Quinn! I'm glad you're up at this hour!" Her cheery friend yelled from the other side. Quinn rubbed her ear momentarily.

"What time is it?"

"It's only six but we need to talk! Please?"

Quinn was shocked. She wasn't sure when was the last time she actually got to talk to her friend. The artist was exhausted but she didn't know when another opportunity like this would appear. Quinn smiled while relaxing on the bed.

"It's never too early to talk to you, Lux. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"It's about me and Darius," Quinn could hear the embarrassment in her voice. The blonde mumbled something that Quinn couldn't make out. Lux groaned, " We… uh. Look, I'm just going to have to start from the beginning. Do you have time?"

* * *

 **From: Darius**

 _I'm picking you up in an hour._

Lux blinked at her phone screen, his message registering in her mind slowly. It wasn't a request nor a suggestion. It was a demand. Darius was always like this. He always took the reins. The blonde dropped her makeup to pick up her phone in a rush.

"Gosh, Darius, you can't!" She said her response aloud while she tapped it.

 **From: Darius**

 _And why not?_

 **To: Darius**

 _Because My Family Is Still Here And I Promised I'd Stay For Dinner Tonight! :'(_

Lux watched her "friend" tap back a response. No one knew what was happening between her and the Noxian. They agreed on keeping it a secret. It was safer that way. Garen finding out that his arch rival was seeing his younger sister would end badly for the three of them. Yet, despite the dangers, Lux loved being with him. He may have been the cocky, loud jock that everyone knew but Lux saw his quieter side.

 **From: Darius**

 _Pretend you have diarrhea._

However, that side was usually overpowered by the gross jock.

 **To: Darius**

 _I Used That Excuse Last Week When We Went To The Movies!_

 **From: Darius**

 _Then say it's explosive diarrhea this time…_

 _I don't care what the excuse is. If you're not outside your house by the time I get there, I'm coming in to get you._

His messages stopped after that. Lux knew that meant what he said. He would actually come into her home and drag her out. She asked for all of this. Lux knew that she couldn't deny him.

A knock at her door pulled her eyes away from her phone. She saw the shadow of feet pacing a bit forward and back.

"Yes?" She called out.

"When are you coming down? Mom already has your plate set."

It was Garen. Lux looked back into her mirror, staring at her reflection with a guilty glare. She swiped black eyeliner under her eyes, smearing it to make it seem like she hadn't slept. The blonde shook her out and grabbed a blanket to throw over her shoulders.

Luv waddled over to her bedroom door, weakly grabbing the handle. She peeked out at her brother in the hallway, seeing him nicely dressed and freshly shaved. His blue eyes widened at his sickly sister.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I think I may have caught that bug that was going around at school," Lux faked a cough.

"That thing was going around weeks ago." The older Demacian said yet he kept his distance from Lux. He sighed, "Well your immune system was a little on the powerful side. Maybe the cold weather brought you down too?"

"M-Maybe," she mumbled as she swiped her forearm under her nose. Garen cringed at the sound, "I think I should just stay up here. I… I don't want to get everyone sick."

"I suppose…" Her brother sighed, feeling her forehead with the back of his hand. Lux thought of something that would get her face to heat up. She remembered the first time she kissed Darius. It was in the alley behind her house. He had just dropped her off from them hanging out before the winter break. Garen groaned, "I guess you do feel a bit warm."

 _It worked!_ Just then, Lux heard something near her window. _Footsteps? Oh… It can't be…_

She looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened when she saw Darius pulling up her window. His broad shoulders were hard to get through but he managed to slip in. As he placed his feet in the floor, his elbow knocked over some books Lux had on her reading desk. His brown eyes narrowed at the open pages before he bent down to pick them up.

"What was that sound?" Garen asked while trying to peek into her room. Lux held her body against the door.

"It was my books! I had them too close to the edge of the desk!" The blonde lied, looking over her shoulder at Darius. He pressed his finger to his lips.

"You shouldn't be reading if you're sick, Lux." Garen scolded her. Lux silently cheered when he stepped back. "Get some rest. I'll tell mother you're not well."

"Uh… T-Tell her not to come up either! I don't want anyone else seeing me!" Lux called out into the hall before she shut her door. She listened for Garen's footsteps on the floorboards. The blonde released her held breath when he walked away.

"I told you I'd come inside," Darius scoffed.

"You coming in almost got us caught! What would my brother have done if he came in and saw you?!"

"I don't—"

"He'd kill you!"

"Easy, bright-eyes. He didn't come in. We don't need to get all uppity." The jock snickered while walking over to her. His hand touched her chin, lifting it up. He rubbed his finger across the smudged eyeliner. Darius held a black fingertip up to her. "Some hip, new look you're trying?"

"I had to look sick," Lux sighed. She took Darius's hand away from her chin before she walked back to her vanity. The blonde grabbed a towelette and wiped the makeup from under her eyes. She sat on her chair and continued to adjust her makeup. "Did we agree on what we were doing?"

"I got two tickets to that Snowdown-themed romantic shitflick that you desperatly wanted to see. It'll be you, me, and a ton of top stars falling in love in a bad movie tonight."

"Oh, I heard Ahri was in that one!" The blonde squealed excitedly. She resumed brushing mascara onto her lashes, "It's going to be cute because the movie trailer shows her talking to a metal-rocker-punk looking guy. Just imagine Ahri, a pretty popstar falling for a guy like that!"

"Sounds… dumb." Darius said while taking a seat on the foot of her bed. He watched her flawlessly swipe products he couldn't even begin to understand on her face. His face twisted in horror as his blonde brought a torture device up to her eyes. It's scissor like handle crushed her long lashes. With one wrong move, he knew that she would stab her blue eye. "What is that thing?"

"Huh? It curls my eyelashes."

"It looks like you're trying to extract it…" He stood up and walked over to her. The jock leaned down at looked at their reflections in the mirror. "Besides, you don't need all this." He said, pointing down to the jars and bottles of cream, powder, and gel. Lux glanced up at him.

She got up from her chair, matching his stance just a foot lower than him. The Noxian's hand grasped her chin, holding her tight. He leaned down to kiss her hard on her glossed lips. He was always rough but Lux loved it.

She could be rough too.

The blonde didn't know what came over her when she pushed the bigger man with all her might onto her bed. It was the loudest crash she had ever heard. Darius groaned when he realized he hit his head on the headboard. Lux whispered an apology when she ran over to him.

Angrily, Darius yanked her down on top of him. Lux felt his hard muscles under her fingertips and that made her gasp. The Noxian suddenly realized the position they were in. When he tried to separate himself from the smaller girl, Lux clawed onto him. Surprised when Lux sat on his lap, Darius froze.

His brown eyes watched her hands slowly reach to unbutton her skirt.

"We're going to miss the movie," Darius said through the hot air.

"This means more…"

* * *

"I think you can guess what happened from there," Lux shyly giggled.

"So you… and Darius… did," Quinn stammered at the thought of her tiny friend and that giant man together. However, the more she thought about it, the more she saw their differences were Demacian had put Lux on speaker so she could lay back and listen. She shook her head, "Well… how was it?"

The navy-haired girl looked up at Talon's bedroom door opening. Her boyfriend stepped inside and closed it softly behind him. The Noxian remained silent when he saw Quinn on her phone. He hopped on the bed and laid beside her, wrapping one over her and closing his eyes.

"It was everything I wanted and more," Lux sighed. She laughed again, "Haven't you and Talon had sex yet?"

Quinn glanced down at her boyfriend, seeing his eyes burst back open almost made her laugh. He looked up at her with a questioning glare. She shrugged, trying to find the right explanation for friend. Talon, his face as red as a lobster, turned his back towards Quinn. The Demacian could hear him grumbling a curse at Lux into the wall.

"No, we have not." She answered.

"Oh, I was positive you and him were… I'm sure you think about it right?" Her friend's voice lowered, "You said he has a real nice body. Can't you imagine those abs covered in sweat? His long hair hanging down over his broad shoulders? Imagine his broody face blushing, sweaty, and full of lust… moaning… your name."

"Uh, L-Lux—" Quinn glanced over at Talon, who had his hands clasped over his ears.

"Because I'm like 100 percent sure Talon does. He's a guy after all. Not to mention you're smoking hot with the greatest pair of..." the blonde's voice trailed off. A noise in the background made her quiet. A few mumbled words was all the blushing couple could make out. "Sorry, Quinn. I have to go now. Darius just woke up. Bye!"

The called ended about a second later. It was awkwardly silent. Maybe it was just her, but Quinn swore she felt the bed pushing her and Talon closer. She looked at his back, seeing his muscles perfectly through his tank top. Her hand reached over, hovering over his shoulders.

"You have a great pair of eyes," Talon said.

"Huh?"

"That's what Lux was going to say. You have the greatest pair of eyes. Beautiful, golden eyes," her boyfriend forced himself to say.

"Knowing Lux… that isn't what she was going to say." Quinn shyly smiled. Her hand grabbed her boyfriend's shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Talon's face was twisted into a unflattering glare. "Do… do you think about…"

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I feel like eggs and bacon. Let's make some downstairs." Talon said with no pauses.

He had to roll over Quinn to get off the bed. Her hands caught his arms, making him stop. The Noxian hovered over her on the bed. They felt like they were frozen in time, just gazing at each other. It wasn't until Quinn's hand ran down Talon's chest...

* * *

 _Notes: Been a while, sorry. Things are getting a little weird in my life but I'll never forget to update._


	15. Chapter 13

" _Everyone thinks that we're perfect. Please don't let them look through the curtains. / God, I wish I never spoke, guess I better wash my mouth out with soap."_

 **Life Is Strange**

Chapter 13: I See Things That Nobody Else Sees

* * *

Song of the Chapter:

Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez

Soap by Melanie Martinez

…

 **/Warning: Graphic Details of Death!\\\**

* * *

Quinn blew on her scalding hot coffee before cautiously taking a sip. She quickly pulled back when it scorched her mouth. It was still insanely hot to even drink. Her golden eyes looked over at Lux shoveling sugar into her coffee with an upturned brow. The blonde popped open a few sweet vanilla creamers into the now almost beige-colored coffee. How anyone could drink all that grainy, white dirt was a mystery to her.

"The only thing that's going to keep you awake is all that sugar," Quinn said jokingly. She lifted her coffee to her lip and immediately burned her tongue. She had forgotten that it was still hot. The young artist fanned her tongue, "Ow!"

"Karma always catches up to you," her friend teased. She handed her friend a single-use vanilla flavored creamer, "This should cool it down a bit."

"Thanks, Lux." Quinn smiled as she took it from her. She carefully pulled back the aluminum top and slowly poured it into her black coffee. The navy-haired girl stirred it with her spoon, "How are things at home? Garen still oblivious about you and You-Know-Who?"

"Everyone is. No one paid attention to me at home when I was young so why should things change? Only you know about it, Quinn." The blonde sighed as she checked her phone for the tenth time this hour. Lux put her phone face down on the table with a disappointed look. She sat back in the booth seat and crossed her arms over her white shirt.

"Is he supposed to be messaging you?"

"I don't mind if he doesn't, he's been training for the Runeterra Championship Season all week. I barely talk to him but he sends me Snapchats of his breakfast…"

Lux scrolled through her old screenshots on her phone, turning it to Quinn when she found one of Darius' plate of a quarter-pound breakfast burrito, a half-gallon of orange juice, a grapefruit, four pieces of toast with layers of avocado smeared across them, and bowl of bland looking cereal. Quinn tapped the screen to go to the next photo and it was Darius' huge face chomping down on the toast. The last one was the empty plates and his hand in frame, giving a thumbs-up.

"Where does he put all that food…"

"It's better than not getting any messages from him at all… I'm sure he'll talk more when the Championship Season is over." The younger girl flipped through the photos of Darius again, "How are you and Talon?" Lux asked her friend. Quinn suddenly flushed while holding her bagel up to her mouth. She had forgotten that she hadn't told Lux about what happened between her and her boyfriend on Snowdown.

"We, uh, I mean he and I…" The young artist nibbled on her breakfast. Lux studied her roommate's face carefully. Avoiding her blue eyes, Quinn continued. "Talon and I _took the next step_."

"He asked you to move in with him?"

"No, he—"

"Proposed to you?"

"No, Lux, we—"

"Eloped in Zaun's gambling district?"

"No, we… did… **it.** "

Lux froze. Her blue eyes narrowed while she looked over her friend's growingly self conscious demeanor. A small smirk rose over her glossed lips. The blonde folded her arms on the the table while she giggled. She scanned her friend up and down as if she was looking for something out of the ordinary.

"I knew something was different about you this morning. Tell me, Quinn. How was it?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn brushed back her hair, "We just got… naked, things went places, and then… you know."

"Do all the vanilla things you want Quinn as long as you're both being safe." Lux pulled up and article of sexually transmitted diseases on her phone and showed it to Quinn, "We don't want **this** happening."

"Ew!"

As they continued to chit chat, Talon had just opened the door to the café. His first morning class ended early and Quinn told him to meet her there once it was done. The Noxian spotted her girlfriend's navy hair in the corner booth with Lux sitting right across from her. He took a breath before making his way over through the quiet café. He shook the snow off his shoulders.

Her face was pink in her cheeks, like she had been blushing. However, it was her smile that he was looking at. It was perfect and bright. It was that smile that made you look back at her if you passed by. Her nose crinkled a bit, folding her faint freckles away from sight. Quinn used her sleeve to cover her laugh. She was so beautiful.

"As I was saying, you look a bit more…" Lux searched for the right words, her blue eyes darted around. She noticed Talon practically stumbling his way over to them, rubbing his chilly hands together. A sly grin appeared on her face, making him freeze in his spot.

"More what?" Quinn asked.

"Nevermind. Talon is here," the blonde giggled.

"What were you two talking about?" Talon eyes warily looked between the girls.

"STDs," Lux said, flipping her phone to show the Noxian.

* * *

Jinx couldn't go faster without breaking into a full sprint. She didn't know what she was running from but she had to find someone. Her head burned with the images from last night. She rubbed her pink eyes, smearing her damp eyeshadow in circles. A student behind her dropped his books in the snow and that made her jump a foot off the floor. He looked up at her, his eyes asking what was wrong with the weird girl. The blue haired girl shook her head and continued on.

"He said not a word," Jinx mumbled to herself while chewing on her black fingernails. She had bitten them to the soft skin and she had dry blood on her other hand. The blue haired girl hopelessly looked around, "What J-Jhiny… Jhin did was wrong."

Jinx needed to get somewhere he couldn't find her. Her head turned in all directions in search of anyone. Unluckily for her, her relationship with Jhin and her reputation alienated her from most of the population. She knew no one wanted to hear her talk or even help her. Suddenly, Jinx remembered she had at least one friend.

"I have to find Quinn," she whispered to herself. However, she didn't even know where to start looking. Jinx kept her walking to an awkwardly long stride, glancing down every hallway for her navy-haired friend. Her feet stopped suddenly. Jinx' pink eyes stared out into the open area. Loose groups of people walked from place to place. Jinx wanted to stay in the shadows in the hallway. She need to stay hidden.

If he found her she didn't know what he would do.

Just then she recognized a familiar head of navy hair sitting in the café window. That was Quinn. Jinx quickly looked around before she hastily walked over to the small building. The bitter cold air hurt her nostrils and she rubbed her bare arms for warmth. Her wide eyes glued to the glass door, Jinx picked up her pace when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Hey, where ya going?" A voice asked her as they pulled her forearm. Fear shot through her tiny body. Did he find her?

"Let go of me!" She shouted while yanking her arm back to herself. The small girl flipped around and saw a familiar face staring back at her. His big brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, sorry, Jinx." Ekko apologized after he let her go. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. His brown eyes avoided hers out of pure embarrassment. However, he gazed back into her soft pink eyes when he heard her mumble. "Did you say something?"

"I'm going to the coffee place," she said a bit louder.

"Are you meeting… Jhin there?" Ekko said his name with a hit of disgust. "I notice he isn't with you."

"No," Jinx replied. She glanced back and spotted Talon wrapping his arm around Quinn while he sat with her. Lux sat across from them, showing the couple something on her phone. "I just got to get to Quinn."

"Are you alright? You seem a lil shook up." Ekko asked, concern filling his features. He had never seen his friend this distraught. He knew it had to do with Jhin. _That scumbag._

"Could you… walk with me?"

"Sure," the boy said. His chest filled with butterflies when Jinx grasped his forearm. Sweat formed on his forehead while she came closer. The way she was looking around seemed as if she was hiding. Ekko hurried them to the small coffee shop, holding the door open for Jinx and she bolted in. The fast girl almost knocked over another student carrying dirty cups.

"Hey! No running!" An angry Shyvana roared while she rung up impatient customers at the register.

"Those aren't the type pictures you show while people are eat— Oof!" Talon was knocked aside as Jinx practically tackled both him and Quinn. Her thin arms wrapped around the young artist like lost child and their mother.

"Hi, Jinx…" Quinn looked down at her, trying to loosen her off. "How are you?" The navy-haired woman glanced up, expecting to see Jhin right behind her but he wasn't. Instead was a young man she had never seen before.

Whoever he was, he seemed concerned about her. Was he a friend? Hopefully he was. Quinn knew Jinx needed more friends. She slightly grinned when he stared at Jinx the way Talon looked at her. Quinn snapped out of her thoughts when the tiny girl shook her shoulders.

"Quinn! I need your help!" Jinx begged. Her pink eyes were filled with fear. She had never seen her like this. In fact, it was a bit surreal. It would be like seeing Lux bitter and angry or Talon cheerful and happy-to-be-alive.

"What's going on?" Her friend asked. Jinx looked slightly relieved that Quinn would hear her out. However, she pressed her finger over her lip.

"I can't tell you here…"

* * *

Jinx paced around the dorm room of Quinn and Lux, biting her black fingernails. Ekko stood by the door watching her while the others sat on the beds. It was the only place Jinx would talk to them all. Whatever she wanted to keep a secret, it was serious even for the usual mischievous girl. The blue haired girl yanked on her braids harshly as she groaned.

"Are you going tell us what is going on?" Talon growled, obviously getting impatient.

"Talon…" Quinn hushed him, "Jinx, is everything okay?"

"It's Jhin," the younger girl finally said. Everyone was taken back— Jinx never called her boyfriend anything but Jhiny. She gasped when she heard footsteps walking outside the dorm door. Ekko peeked out, seeing just two girls giggling as the chatted.

"Go on, Jinx." Lux tried to be carefully not being as rude as Talon.

"Jhin did something bad. Really bad…" The pale girl sat on the floor, holding her legs up to her chest. "He told me not to say anything but… I can't… Quinn, I need help."

"What did he do?" The Demacian said as she got on the floor next to her. She rubbed her back, trying to console her. Quinn looked over at Talon and Lux glancing at each other, annoyance written all over their faces. Ekko also joined them on the carpet, putting one arm around Jinx.

"You can tell me, Jinx… Us… You can tell us." Ekko corrected himself. Quinn smiled at him. She recognized the same love in him like she did in Talon.

"We won't tell anyone but we can't help you until you let us know what Jhin did."

"He…" Jinx started, burying her face into her knees. She kept yanking on her braids as if to scold herself, "He killed someone."

Silence fell over the group aside from Jinx's groans. Quinn and Lux stared at each other, shocked. Jhin was quiet and charming. Sure, he could be a little bit dramatic but to think that he was capable of murder? It was hard to believe— at least to them.

Talon's dark eyes narrowed while he studied Jinx. He knew that there were rumors of her being a pathological liar. There was no proof that she was telling the truth. Maybe she was having a fight with Jhin and she's making up ugly rumors to get back at him. Talon shook his head, knowing well that Quinn was fully invested in this girl. His girlfriend was caught in her lies.

"Is that the truth?" He growled loudly. Everyone turned to look at him. Quinn raised a brow up, silently asking what he was doing.

"Huh?" Jinx mumbled.

"Did Jhin really kill anyone or is this one of your lies?" The Noxian snarled. Ekko glared over and Talon saw this. He scoffed, "Oh, she's got you into this too? What is it with guys and crazy girls?"

"Talon…" Quinn said lowly, thinking of a way to defuse the situation. "Lux, help me out…" She looked over at Lux who was not so discreetly texting on her phone under her purse. The young Demacian rolled her golden eyes. She knew she was texting her should-be boyfriend, Darius. It's about time he started messaging her.

"I'm not lying!" Jinx argued back.

"Oh yeah? Prove it to us." Talon got up stretched his shoulders, "Show us the body. Unless… you don't know where it is."

"I do know and I'll show you all!" Jinx said while jumping off the carpet, almost smacking a hovering Ekko in the jaw. She flipped around to grab the doorknob but she froze. "Uh, how are we going to get to it?"

"Well, since Talon suggested we see it I think we should all use his car. Right, Talon?" Quinn smugly said while wrapping one around her boyfriend. He glared down at her. She harshly nudged his side.

"Yeah, sure…"

* * *

"I'm starting to think this body doesn't exist," Lux groaned in the backseat, squashed in between Ekko and Jinx. She tried her best to keep from sliding into either one of them when Talon turned a corner. The blonde felt her phone vibrate in her purse. She reached in and saw she had a text message from Darius.

 **From: Darius**

 _Where are you at? We need to talk._

Lux bit her lip, getting really nervous. She almost dropped her phone when Jinx pushed herself into the front part of the car, scaring both Quinn and Talon. The blue haired girl pointed to a dirt path leading into the forest.

"Right there! Turn there!" Jinx shouted, getting her dirty boots all over Talon's clean backseat. The Noxian swerved into the path, creating a giant dust cloud behind them. Jinx kept her head in the front side of the car, looking out for the cliff the body was under. "Uh, there! Stop here!"

Talon parked the car, thinking to himself how he's going to feel when there is no dead boy. He smirked before looking over to a glaring Quinn. She remained seated while everyone else got of the car. Talon groaned— she was angry with him. He waited for all the car doors to be shut.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked however he already knew the answer.

"Why are you being so mean to Jinx, my friend? You're going this far to prove her wrong." Quinn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her boyfriend rubbed his forehead before thinking of how to reply to her.

"I mean… we would have needed to a find a body to show the authorities, right?" He stumped her, making her glare disappear. "I was just moving things along. What if she didn't want to show us a body… if there is one." Talon held in his snicker while he got out of his car. He turned to see everyone already making their way down the short yet steep hill. Ekko was the first to jump off.

"WHOA!" He shouted.

The group rushed to him, seeing him distance himself from a bloodied and rotten corpse. Quinn held her nose as Talon pulled her to not look at it. Lux helped Ekko off the ground, patting dirt off his back. Jinx looks disturbed at the sight of the body, like the memory of what Jhin did to it was replaying in her brain.

"What happened?" Lux asked, "His eyes are missing…"

"And why are his arms broken?" Ekko added.

"Jhin… thought he looked better this way." Jinx mumbled, looking away from the dead man. Quinn walked over to her, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. She pulled on her braids, "I knew Jhiny— Jhin was the creative type but…"

"He can't get away with this," Quinn whispered. Her golden eyes moved to Talon, who glared down at the body. Her hand reached over and grasped his wrist, making him turn to her. His gaze softened at the sight of her pleading face. "Talon?"

The Noxian looked around to the rest of the students, counting each of them. It was five against one. He thought to himself, while pacing away. He yanked out his phone from his pocket and opened his global map.

"Jarvan's place isn't too far from here," He thought aloud.

"And Jhin's summer cabin is just over this hill. In fact, I think it might be thirty or so yards away," Jinx tried her hardest to remember.

"Talon, you're not thinking of going over there, are you?" Lux asked, looking over to Quinn. Her puzzled face silently asked her what her boyfriend was doing. However, Quinn smiled at him.

"You read my mind," Quinn giggled. "Okay, so I— we have a plan."

"I want Ekko and I to go into Jhin's place. Try and take whatever we can find. Quinn, you stay in my car and drive us away when we're done. Lux and Jinx should stay at Jarvan's place… if he's okay with that."

"I'll text him right now." Lux pulled her phone from her purse, quickly tapping on the screen. "Don't worry about a key either. I have one."

"Why?" Talon asked.

"Because he's my brother's best friend and he totally used to have a crush on me before he met Shyvana—"

"Enough talking, we have to get moving so we can catch Jhin before he harms anyone else!" Quinn silenced them.

* * *

"Okay, just wait here Quinn. I swear we'll be right out." Talon promised her before hurrying up Jhin's cabain steps. She looked mortified. All the possibilities of Jhin being inside ran through her mind. She had a few ideas of what he might to if he found Talon inside his cabain.

Quinn watched her boyfriend and Ekko slip open a window. The younger boy hopped in and a crash could be heard from outside. Talon looked inside the window, seeing Ekko sweep up dirt into a flower pot. He growled for him to move.

"At least it didn't shatter?" Ekko joked.

Talon crawled in through the window, glancing back at Quinn before dropping to the wooden floor. She was so worried still. Why wouldn't she be? He sighed while looking around for any sign of Jhin being there. His car wasn't in the driveway but he needed to be very cautious.

"Remember what Jinx said. Jhin is super controlling. If something isn't a certain way, he flips out. Put everything back the way you—" Talon stopped when he heard a crunch from behind him. He flipped around, yanking his knife from his back pocket.

"Chill, Talon!" Ekko shouted with his mouth full of peach.

"I told you not to touch anything!" Talon whispered, "I'll go upstairs. You look around here."

Ekko rolled his eyes at the older teen, before going back to the kitchen.

Talon carefully took a step upstairs. The wood underneath his shoe creaked, making him quickly take it off. He took a quick breath before rushing up the stairs as fast as he could. His back was against the wall, listening for anything at all.

It was quiet.

The Noxian slowly opened the door of what he assumed was Jhin's bedroom. He could tell from the odd music posters taped over it. Inside his room it was disturbingly clean. His bed was made, dirty clothes were folded in a hamper near the corner of the room, and every single item was in a set of fours. His pillows, his shoes, everything.

Talon knew he had to be very careful.

He hurried over to the closet door, swiftly opening it. The small space was almost empty of clothes. Surely Jhin didn't live here, which made sense. However, there was one thing that stood out to Talon. One single shoebox. Knowing Jhin, he would have had three over boxes stacked around it.

Talon yanked the box from the top shelf. He dropped down to the carpet before setting it down. The Noxian braced himself for whatever he would find in there. He flipped the top open to reveal a single, red book. Talon's eyes glared at it.

"This might be what I'm looking for." He whispered as he reached for it. Talon opened the book and almost gagged. The images inside is nothing like he had ever seen. There were pictures of dead animals. He couldn't bear to look through the pages but he knew he had to. Near the middle of the album, after all the photos of the mutilated animals, Talon found people. "Jhin, you sick bastard."

There were different people in the pictures that wasn't the body in the forest. Women, men, and even a child were pictured inside. Talon would pay to have these images roomed from his memory. He shut the book, put the box back in the closet, and rushed downstairs. He found Ekko still raiding the kitchen.

"I have it. Let's go."

* * *

Jhin whistled while throwing his car keys into air and then catching them in his palm. His thick boots trotted up the stairs of his father's cabin quickly. The old man retired not too long ago and he decided to move into the cabin. The drunk probably didn't want to be around his nagging wife. Sticking one key in the door, the Ionian-native opened it in one swift motion. Jhin tossed his things into a glass bowl by the door.

He walked into the large living room where his father was _resting_. Four bullet holes in the gut and through the armchair. The poor polyester was stained dark red now. The maniac gazed down at the bloodied body with an evil grin. His eyes noticed the stiff fingers clutching on to the television remote. Jhin chuckled lightly while reaching for it. He heard the cracking of the rigamortus setting in.

"Sorry, pops, I need to borrow this." He said as he flipped through the channels, finding the national news station. As usual, boring news about disasters, city crime, and the government being corrupt. Jhin rolled his eyes, "Show me what I want…"

"And now to our final story of the hour," the female host said while looking down to read some papers and then back to the camera. "There has been a missing person report filed for a man named only as Ares. He was last known to be jogging down his usual route on the outside of Valoran University. Search teams have been trying to find the thirty-something father of two for almost twenty-four hours. We will have this story explained in more detail after our next—"

Jhin shut off the television and he spotted his menacing grin in the dark screen. Shoving the remote back into his dead father's hands, the killer stalked off towards the kitchen. A fruit basket laid on the counter by the refrigerator and, without looking, Jhin reached out for something.

His hand grabbed air in the basket. His two-colored eyes glared down at the counter. Noticing a peach was missing. Fiery anger burning in his chest. He swiped the fruit basket of the counter in a fit of rage. The newly bruised fruit rolled under the dinner table.

Jhin stepped through the rest of the house, trying to spot anything that wasn't _right._ Right to Jhin was things organized in fours. Four of each fruit in one basket would be one example. The killer stopped as he was about to go up the stairs. The potted flower near the phone looked off. He squatted before it, glaring at the dirt tossed and the vase neatly centered in the middle of the table.

"That's not right," he whispered to himself while patting down the dirt. Jhin moved the vase near the top corner of the table. His fingernails tapped on the glass-countertop furiously. The maniac couldn't help but chuckle. His chuckle turned into a sinister cackling. He calmed himself with a single sigh, "Someone was in the cabin… and I know my father didn't get up from the dead to move around fruit and flowers."

Jhin walked back over to the television and turned it on by the buttons on the side. The news had just come back from commercial and the lady was seen being patted with powered before the camera zoomed in on her. She coughed her throat clear and adjusted her papers. Jhin squinted at the makeup powder on her shoulder while she faked a big, white smile.

"Welcome back to the six o'clock news, everyone. Our top story is coming from Noxus. It seems as if the government leader and celebrity, Jericho Swain is finally settling down. Reports say he had been seen with a much younger woman named: Emilia LeBlanc. I guess you're never too old to find love."

"Love…" Jhin whispered to himself. His eyes snapped open wide. "Jinx."

Jhin ran up to his room, growling hatefully at his deceiving girlfriend. He ripped open his closet, seeing that things had been moved here as well. Jhin pulled down his old shoebox and threw it open. His photo album. It was gone!

The psychopath roared in anger.

"JINX!" Jhin snarled, running downstairs to get his phone. He slammed the front door open, shutting it harshly behind him, and sprinted to his car. Once in the front seat, Jhin thrashed around furiously, honking the horn a few times. He tried to calm himself by biting his tongue. Blood dripped from his lips while he tapped on his phone. A sinister grin appeared on his angled features. "Jinx…"

 **To: Jinx**

 _Hey, doll. I'm sorry for what happened the other night._

 _I want to talk. May I see you?_

* * *

 _Notes: I'm so sorry for the long, long, long wait. I got promoted at work and it's been harder to find time to write! Hopefully, this could sate your hunger for now. I hate to say there might be one chapter left of Life is Strange. However, it will be the best thing I'll probaby ever write! I promise!_

 _To answer some questions. Yes, Ekko likes Jinx. No, Jinx doesn't know. Yes, we do see Darius later. Why? He knows why. Yes, you're gonna want to kill/hug me next chapter._

 _See you next chapter!_


	16. Chapter 14

" _Why did you steal my cotton candy heart?"_

 **Life Is Strange**

Chapter 14: Beauty Fades

* * *

Song of the Chapter:

Carousel by Melanie Martinez

* * *

 **Warning: Graphic Details of Death!**

* * *

The group of anxious teens circled around the photo album, staring at it with mixed emotions. Talon didn't let anyone open it, fearing that the images inside would harm their minds. He grabbed it and hid it within his backpack. Quinn had been sitting on her bed, scribbling down a plan their possible outcomes. Lux had still been texting on her phone while Ekko kept a close watch on Jinx. He sighed, wanting so badly to console her in anyway.

Jinx had no emotion anywhere on her face. Ekko was clearly very worried but he didn't want to intrude on Jinx. She was going through enough and didn't need a stupid boy hovering over her. At least that is what he thought. The white-haired boy ran his hand through his mohawk, glancing over at Quinn.

"You got any ideas, Quinn?" He asked the older Demacian. Ekko looked down at all the crumpled up papers in the trash can behind her. The sight of them nearing the top of the can was enough of an answer but he needed to break the silence.

Quinn tapped her pencil on her lip, her deep thinking distracted her from the boy's question. She read along with her finger, eyes narrowing at each word that made no sense. Her head tilted to the side as she finally spotted something interesting.

"We should stay clear of just turning him in outright. Even if we have the photobook. There's no way to prove he took them in possession." She explained, "We shouldn't engage him alone either— we don't know how unstable be may be." Quinn slid her pencil behind her ear to take a moment without it in her hand. She read along as she flexed her stiff wrist.

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Talon asked while walking over to stand behind her. He glanced down at her notes, seeing how most were scratched out and others had arrows pointing around the pages. She could be onto something.

"We could ambush him. Catch him off guard. All of us." Quinn said, circling one part of her scrambled notes on her paper. She drew another arrow across the page, "We need to work as a team to deal with him…"

Quinn looked around the dorm room at the other teens. It was a five to one advantage, however she didn't know how much of Jinx's heart was in this. She'd seen how she was with Jhin— attached to the hip to a point where Quinn thought she may have depended on him. Quinn watched the younger girl who had remained in the same position for the past hour, hugging her knees. Four to one, still good odds.

Her golden eyes moved to Lux, narrowing at the phone in her hands. The blonde hurried to tap a text to Quinn assumed was Darius. Maybe Lux wasn't the most reliable considering her situation— she could bail in them at a moments notice. Quinn would have to resort to giving her the least impactful role. Still, she was certain her friend would help her out.

Ekko… Quinn knew she had him in on the whole plan. She could see in his big, brown eyes that he cared deeply for Jinx. The Demacian then felt her boyfriend's strong hands touch her shoulders. She didn't need to ask him either.

 _Looks like love is powering this one._

"Before I start," the navy-haired girl said, "I need to know you're all going to help." Quinn stuck out her hand in front of the group, her palm facing down. It took a moment for them all to realize what she was asking. Talon stepped forward, placing his hand on top of hers. The couple watched the youngest in the group, Ekko, enthusiastically smack his hand on theirs. Lux more gently joined in.

The four of them gazed down at Jinx, who was hesitating. Her thin, white hand trembled as she raised it. Just as she was about to join, she pulled away.

"Is something the matter?" Quinn questioned.

"It's just that…" Jinx began, her pink eyes dropping to the floor. "I still love him… and want to… I'm not too sure anymore."

"Jinx," Talon interrupted, "Jhin isn't the man you think he is. He's been playing you for a fool all this time." The group of teens glanced up at him, including the blue-haired girl. Her brows furrowed angrily.

"You don't know him," she fought. "My Jhiny has never harmed me."

"How could you be sure? How do you know that you wouldn't be turned into a page in his photobook?" The tattooed teen glared at him but remained silent. Everyone dropped their hands, breaking the unison. Talon groaned as he pooped his neck, "I'm going to have to prove it to you."

"Talon, what do you mean?" Quinn asked, watching her boyfriend pull his car keys from his pocket. He took a few steps towards the door, "Where are you going?"

"We're taking Jinx to go meet someone who knows Jhin more than she does… Zed."

* * *

Jhin pulled up into the alley behind Jinx's home is Zaun. His dark glare was set on the last window on the second floor— her bedroom. The Ionian shut off his car before carefully closing the door after he got out. He didn't want to make too much noise.

The maniac hopped over the back fence using the family's trash cans just like he did when he would sneak into his girlfriend's room with her parents knowing. Those were the days. When she had no other friends and she was all his. When she only _thought_ of Jhin and only _wanted_ to be with Jhin. His fists clenched as he remembered those days would never come back.

Jhin used the ladder by the side of the house to climb upwards. He peeked inside the window just in case someone was watching. It was empty. The maniac huffed in frustration. Where was she? He climbed into her open window anyway. If she was there, it would be a nice _surprise._ An evil grin smeared over his features.

He carefully wandered into the bedroom, his eyes staring at the closed door. Jhin walked over and listened. Nothing. The rest of the house sounded eerily quiet. His hand reached into his waistband, feeling his gun pressed to his skin. He cracked open the door, seeing the dark, unlit hallways outside. No one was home yet. Jhin released his grip on the gun, disappointed. Unlucky.

Just then, Jhin's eyes caught something pinned to the bedroom door. He opened it fully to see a sloppy note in Jinx's handwriting.

 **Parental Units,**

 **A friend and I are having a sleepover. Be gone for the weekend!**

— **Jinx**

"What friend could she be talking about—" he growled before suddenly realizing she had another friend. The sweet younger Demacian artist, Quinn. He slammed his fist on the door. Jinx wasn't alone if she had Quinn and Talon hovering around her. Jhin slammed the door in anger.

He paced around his girlfriend's room as he thought any way to get her to himself. His dual-colored eyes spotted and older picture of them on her vanity mirror. They looked so happy. He tore it off, glaring at their smiles. Jinx took this photo while they were out drinking in Liandry's Point. He could see the empty beer cans right behind them.

"We could have been so perfect," he sighed while he caressed the photo. "We could have done great things together but… you had to run when I showed you what I could do." Jhin threw the picture back on the vanity. He sadly sat on her bed, lying back. Jhin grabbed her pillows and inhaled her scent.

He missed her but he had to get rid of his little problem. If she didn't want to join in on his hobbies then she was a liability. She could tell the authorities what he does and get him sent away again. Jhin clapped his hands over his ears.

"Not again… I can't go back!" His voice raised.

The Ionian shot up, feeling the coldness of the empty room he once remembered. His time in the Lunatic's Ward in Noxus was one he would like to forget. He shivered at the thought of being there. His neck tightened as he felt the strangulation of the straight jacket.

"No, no, no. I can't…" Jhin whispered. "I need to get rid of Jinx… my little Jinx."

His eyes slowly gazed up at the vanity in front of him. He stood, slowly dragging his feet over, and saw the photo he tossed onto the wooden surface. Jhin picked it up lightly between his fingers, careful not the wrinkle it. His face twisted into a scowl as he looked down at Jinx. He crumpled the photo in his hands.

"I know how…" Jhin growled, taking his phone from his pocket. He tapped along the surface, finding his text messages with Jinx. He hadn't sent a message to her in a few hours. The maniac knew she read them as he saw the little check marks under each one.

 **To: Doll**

 _Hey, doll. I really want to see you and explain myself. I'm lost without you. Please, let me see you in person. I don't know what I'd do if I can no longer be with you…_

"Send." The corner of his lip curled upwards, "That should soften her up."

He waited for a moment, making sure his "heartfelt" message has sent properly. Jhin was about to lock his phone until he noticed the screen blink. Just then, he saw the little text bubble had begun to type back.

* * *

"Tell me what this is all about, Talon." Zed asked his friend outside his apartment complex, his voice conveyed a command and not a question. On his balcony stood Talon, Quinn, Jinx, and himself. Syndra stayed inside to finish dinner for Zed and her mother that was supposed to be dropping by soon. The older Ionian crossed his arms, obviously annoyed his day off was interrupted.

"I just need for you to explain to us about Jhin." Talon answered. He looked over to Jinx clutched onto his girlfriend's arm. "One of us doesn't understand."

"She's his girlfriend, isn't she?" Zed asked, gesturing to the blue-haired girl. Talon nodded, making the Ionian groan. "I don't have time, Talon. Syndra's mom is coming over and we don't have dinner ready yet—"

"We found his photo album." He interrupted his friend. Sudden realization washed over the Ionian's fair face. Zed's dark eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Oh, I see." He sighed while rubbing the bridge of his nose. "A long time ago, maybe when each of us was twelve maybe eleven, Syndra, myself, my step brother, and Jhin all lived on the same street. We were definitely old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. It was a typical neighborhood— nothing really happened there. Until Jhin was… caught.

"Another neighbor of ours had gone missing a few days prior. She was younger than us, I'd say she was about eight. Her parents searched everywhere for their only daughter but were too late. Jhin found her first." Zed's voice lowered, "Jhin had lured her into this backyard shed with promises of toys and candy but instead all she found was a knife thirty-seven times to her tiny body. The newspaper said he would have gotten away with it if his mother didn't smell the rotting body in the shed before he could dispose of it.

"Jhin spent a few years in an asylum but they let him out for good behaviour. Seriously, the work of a sociopath. He played them all into believing he was changed. Nothing had been the same between us all after that day…" Zed lowered his head to look at the ground, finishing his story. Talon and Quinn both glanced over at Jinx who eyes widened. Quinn patted her tattooed shoulder, trying to get her attention.

"You okay, Jinx?" She whispered to her friend.

"So…" Jinx started, "Jhin really is a killer, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so," Quinn replied.

Her brow raised when the smaller girl unwrapped herself from her arms. Jinx walked over to the balcony guard, looking out the rest of the neighborhood. Kids played in the street and ran to the sidewalks when a car approached, worried mothers watched them from the kitchen windows, and fathers lazily read newspapers on the front porches. Jinx's shoulders stood straight while she thought.

"You know, trashing the campus and mild vandalism is one thing I can hang with. But… murder? That's just not cool," Jinx's voice sounded pained but held her head high. "I fell in love with the harmless pranks and stuff…"

Quinn looked over at Zed and Talon. Zed looked into the kitchen window at Syndra while Talon gazed upon his own girlfriend. The Demacian was so lucky to have him but she felt horrible for Jinx now. She turned her head back to her younger friend, who was still looking out towards the neighborhood.

"What are you thinking, Jinx?" Quinn asked.

Jinx remained silent for a moment before she turned back around. She seemed conflicted yet she kept her gaze on Quinn. The blue-haired girl sighed while leaning on the railing.

"I want to help you guys," she finally said. "I want to help Jhin to… by putting him where he belongs and can get the help he needs."

"I'm glad you finally realized, Jinx." Talon said proudly. Just then they all heard Jinx's text tone go off in her pocket. She seemed unsure as she pulled it out. Her hand smacked over the screen and her pink eyes shot open.

"It's Jhin…"

The cheery vibe between the teens suddenly disappeared.

"What did he say?" Quinn asked, looking down at her phone. Her golden eyes read along the obviously fake text. The Demacian's face twisted into an angry scowl, "He's begging to see her. No way— I'm not letting that happen."

"It could be a good way to get him alone," Talon suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, I'm not letting that go **monster** near Jinx without me in between them." Quinn growled, but she thought of something. "Wait… a double date! We can catch the son of a bitch without putting any of us in danger. What could he possibly do with three of us watching him?"

"That's not a bad plan." Talon agreed.

"Text him the only way you'll see him is if he says he'll let us be there." Quinn said to Jinx, pointing to her phone, "Uh, at Liandry's Point. That place is always open enough for the police to move around in. Tell him what you'll think he wants."

"On it, chief." Jinx nodded before swiping around the screen. She slowly read after punching in each word in her text, " _Beer… and… chips? Liandry's Point… you… me… Quinny and Tate_. Sent!"

"Is it really a good idea to give that lunatic alcohol?" Talon silently said to himself.

"Alright, now let's call Ekko and Lux!" Quinn planned, "We just need some beer and everything to make it seem like an actual date and not a vigilante mission. This should be so easy."

"You underestimate Jhin's tactics. He will get her alone," Zed warned while pointing to Jinx. "Take all precautions and never turn your back on him. Now that I've said that, would you please…" Zed gestured to his stairs.

"Thanks, Zed." Quinn smiled. She walked over to the window, smelling the traditional Ionian foods wafting outside. The Demacian spotted Zed's girlfriend at the sink, furiously washing dishes, "Bye, Syndra!"

"Strangle that demon for me!" The navy-haired girl heard the older woman shout out.

* * *

Talon, Quinn, and Jinx waited at the top of Liandry's Point, the three of them had been sitting in silence for about an hour. The intensity in the air was thick. Quinn looked down at her phone, seeing that she had a text from Lux and Ekko. Her hand trembled as she opened the messages.

 **From: Lux**

 _Quinn! I'm On My Way To The Police Department! Tell Me When You Have Jhin! I'll Be Waiting!_

 **From: Ekko**

 _Yo im outside the trail leading up there. Jhin is coming up. Tell me when ya'll need me._

The Demacian looked in the rearview mirror, seeing a dust cloud forming in the distance. Another car was approaching. In the reflection, she saw Jinx closing her eyes while she head the tires crushing the dirt as it came closer.

"Okay, we have to remain calm." Quinn whispered to them. Jhin's clean car parked right beside them but they all kept their eyes forward, "We can't let him know that WE know. It could scare him off."

"I need a drink…" Jinx groaned while leaning over to open the new case of beer under the seat.

"Jinx, you need to act like nothing's wrong. Kiss him, hug him… do whatever you need to do to fool him." Quinn said to her friend. She saw that her eyes filled with horror. "I know you don't want to but remember how he fooled you." The navy-haired girl smirked when she saw fiery anger replace her fear.

"He's getting out…" Talon sneered.

They turned and saw Jhin's tall figure rest on the front of his car, smiling at them. He waved a hello before walking back over to his driver side door. The Ionian leaned inside, searching for something. The three teens watched him— their skin crawled when they heard him humming. Jhin pulled out a big case of Graggy Ice and lifted it for them to see.

"Okay, guys, let's get out." Quinn said, faking a big smile before she got out of the car. Her boyfriend and Jinx was hesitant to follow but they eventually did. The Demacian waved to Jhin, "Haven't seen you in a while, Jhin."

"I know, I skipped a few days of class to spend time with my dad." The Ionian grinned, opening the case of beer. His eyes turned to his girlfriend slowly crawling out of the back of Talon's car with an open can already in her hand. "Doll! I texted you but you haven't replied to me."

"Y-Yeah, I was with Quinn and I forgot my phone charger." She lied and he could tell. He had already known that she had seen his messages to her but ignored him— but he would let it slide for now. Jinx took a big gulp of the beer and he grinned as she walked over. She got on her toes to kiss him on the lips.

"I missed you, doll." Jhin whispered to her, "Sorry if my texts were a bit… dramatic."

"That's why I love you… Jhiny."

"Indeed," The Ionian yanked her closer to his body. Jhin felt her trembling— she was afraid. Something was off. He glanced up at Talon, who was standing behind his own girlfriend. The Noxian was scowling at him but that was nothing new to Jhin. He knew Talon had problems with him but he faked a smile, "Talon… Always nice to see you."

"Hey." He greeted back in his usual rough tone. The Noxian pointed to the beer case, "May I?"

"Allow me," Jhin said while pulling out a can for him. He snapped it open before handing it over to the Noxian.

"Thanks," said Talon. He pointed behind him to his car with his thumb, "We have a case of Athene's Unholy Ale in my car but I prefer Graggy."

"Athene's is too sweet for me. Graggy really puts some hair on your chest, wouldn't you say?" Jhin laughed before opening up a can for himself. "So, what's the plan for tonight's date? We can hang out… get drunk… vandalize some cabins… the fun stuff."

"We were planning on waiting for the sunset. Part of my photography class is to take a scenery snapshot." Quinn said, making Jhin turn to her. The look in his eyes made her feel insanely uneasy. She cleared her throat, "I just thought we could all hang out while we wait."

"Come on, Quinn, school work when you're out with your man?" He joked. Jhin hopped up to sit on the hood of his car, "Have you guys seen the new lately?"

"What? That the stupid mayor of Noxus is dating an extremely younger woman?" Talon scoffed, "I can't hear enough of that report."

"Yes, I would say that the news should report on something better than that. Why waste time on celebrities when there are unsolved murders stacking up?" Jhin asked, silently listening for any one of them to do anything.

"I turned it off before they could cover those stories," Talon broke the silence. He leaned on the driver's side door, feeling his knife hidden in his back pocket press against his skin. "I didn't even know there was murders here in Valoran."

"Really? Because I know for a fact you've seen they bodies with your own eyes." Jhin darkly growled, all panicked eyes jumping to him.

* * *

 **From: Dar Dar**

 _Luxanna Crownguard…_

Lux looked down at her phone with a pained grimace. Darius only called her by her full name when he was angry with her. She tapped on her phone screen reluctantly, thinking of what he could be angry about. The blonde knew she had blown off the date they had planned to help Quinn but she didn't tell him that. How would he react to his non-official-girlfriend trying to capture an unstable murderer with her unqualified friends?

 **To: Dar Dar**

 _Hi Darius! How Are You?_

Darius replied almost immediately and that frightened Lux.

 **From: Dar Dar**

 _Well… Just wondering why you won't tell me what you're doing. I have one day off from training and you don't want to hang out?_

She probably should come clean with him… but how?

 **To: Dar Dar**

 _I'm At The Police Station…_

 **From: Dar Dar**

 _What did you do?_

 **To: Dar Dar**

 _I Didn't Do Anything! It was Quinn's Weird Friend's Boyfriend! He's A Freaking Psycho! He Has A Scrapbook Of All The People He Killed! We Have The Evidence But We Can't Tackle Him Just Yet… So I'm Waiting For Quinn To Tell Me When To Get The Police…_

She waited quietly for Darius to reply. She saw the text bubble at the bottom of the screen appear and disappear, making her worry. Maybe he was saying that she should stop lying to him and just let him know when she doesn't want to hang out with him. She always wants to be around him but Quinn mattered more right now.

Lux knew she neglected her when she started to sneak around with Darius. Quinn never ignored her when Talon came in the picture… that's what made her feel guilty. The older Demacian was nothing but nice to her so she would jeopardize her relationship with the man of her dreams to make it up to her.

As she was sulking, a message appeared.

 **From: Dar Dar**

 _Okay, I'll come wait with you. You probably need a big strong scary man to help you out anyway._

Lux smiled widely as she replied with an unnecessary amount of heart emoticons.

 **From: Quinn**

 _Get the police!_

 _Jhin is onn n ttt o us!_

 _PL e_

The urgency of Quinn's messages alarmed Lux— she couldn't even finish her messages. She looked over to the station, seeing the police lounging around through the glass doors. Panicking, Lux practically fell out of her car and ran into the police station, calling Darius as she did so…

* * *

Quinn dropped her shattered, smoking phone on the ground. Her golden eyes slowly followed the smokey trail back to Jhin's hand. He was holding his gun. Talon stood between the psycho and his beloved girlfriend. Jhin darkly chuckled while he looked over at them. His own arms found Jinx as she tried to scurry away.

"Oh, no need to be afraid…" The Ionian assured them, blowing the smoke away from his gun's barrel. He clicked back the trigger, reloading it. He sighed, "We can do this the easy way… or the difficult but more fun for me way. Hand over what you took from me, Talon, and I will let you and Quinn leave."

"What about Jinx?" The Demacian asked, stepping in front of Talon. Jhin hastily aimed his gun at Jinx's head, making her stop in her tracks. Quinn heard Jinx pleading with Jhin not to shoot her. "Don't do this, Jhin…"

"You come any closer and I'm going to blow her stupid, little head off." He warned. "She's going to stay with me. I missed her so much, I… can't let her go just yet." Jhin leaned over and kissed his girlfriend on her pale cheek. His crazy eyes turned over to Talon. He opened up a palm to him, "The book. Now."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me!" Jhin yelled, "You went into my cabin and took my book! I want it back!"

Talon remained silent yet turned to Quinn. Her eyes gestured back to his car. The Noxian nodded before he backed up to the passenger side door. Jhin watched him closely, keeping his finger on the trigger. Talon opened the door and leaned inside. He looked under the seats, seeing his other knives twinkling at him. Just then, a plan ran through his head.

He grabbed his knife and the photo album in one hand. He slipped the knife into his sleeve before straightened up. Talon slammed the door behind him as he went to join the three other teens in the clearing. The Noxian held up the book over his head and began walking closer to Jhin.

"That's close enough! Drop it and step back." The Ionian ordered. Talon gave him a single nod and threw the book on the dead grass. Jhin leaned over to Jinx, "Sorry, doll, but you need a nap." He darkly chuckled before he placed two fingers on the dip of her shoulder. With a swift press, Jinx went limp in his arm.

"JINX!" Quinn shouted. Jhin dumped her to the ground and stepped over her to his book, smiling triumphantly. His thin hand reached out to grab it. Talon quickly revealed his knife from his sleeve and stabbed the Ionian in the forearm. He screaming in anguish, grabbing the handle. Talon gave him a swift kick to the stomach, knocking him over. As Talon tried to run away, Jhin grabbed his ankle. Quinn watched him fall in the dirt, "Talon!"

Everything was in slow motion again when she saw Jhin reach for his gun. Quinn's feet felt heavy as she tumbled over to grab it before he could. Her mind flashed with that same vision of Talon taking Caleb's place on the hood of that car from all those years ago. Tears blurred her eyes as her fingertips felt the cold barrel of the gun. But... she was too slow. Jhin pointed the gun at her chest and fired.

A high-pitch ringing was all she heard. Her golden eyes looked over to Talon, his mouth open and screaming. Yet, she heard nothing. He reached out for her. Her heavy arms tried to lift but when she formed the thought, her vision faded to black...

* * *

Her eyes opened to a darkened version of the world she was just in. Here she felt weightless. Quinn looked over to where her boyfriend was and she saw him and Jhin frozen in the darkness. She reached over to touch his face but her hand phased through his skin. Quinn suddenly heard the grass behind her being crushed under footsteps and a ominous humming. Her skin crawled when she heard the footsteps stop.

 _"We meet again, young human..."_

* * *

 _I was wrong when I said there was one chapter left… we got a few things to clear up like who is Marcus really? Is he really just a grocery store owner? How long can Lux and Darius remain a secret? Find out with the chapters soon to come!_

 _(_ _ **Also I'm writing another AU**_ — _more information can be found on my profile._ _ **Take the poll I have there to suggest the third and fourth couple that should be in it!**_ _)_

 _See you next chapter!_


	17. Chapter 15

_"How did love become so violent?"_

 **Life is Strange**

Chapter 15: Stained Eyes and Sleepless Nights

* * *

Song of the Chapter:

Teddy Bear by Melanie Martinez

* * *

"Where… am I?" Quinn asked into the darkness. Her voice seemed to echo for miles. When she hadn't gotten a response, the Demacian turned and spotted them. Kindred. Wolf watched her closely with his teeth dripping with drool. He was hungry. Lamb resumed her humming as she stepped forward. Quinn jumped back but Lamb snatched her wrist.

"Be careful not to wander too far," she sweetly warned. Her finger pointed to a glowing circle underneath the three of them. "Step too far off and you will die."

"Wait…" Quinn's brows furrowed in confusion, "I'm not…"

"Dead? Not entirely." Lamb explained while her hand reached over to Quinn's chest. Her soft fingers grazed over the open wound from Jhin's gun. Holding her hand up to Quinn, she saw her own blood staining Lamb's white wool.

"I'm still confused? How could I not be be entirely dead? I got shot in the heart."

"You were shot, yes, but magic stopped you from leaving this realm completely. You're in between the realms of the living and the dead. Time is frozen here." Lamb gestured to the two teens behind Quinn. She looked back at them, pain engulfing her.

"Why is this happening?" Quinn asked death.

"It's not your time yet," said Lamb simply.

"The mortal is interfering with my hunts!" Wolf growled, his eyes narrowing at Jhin.

"Exactly, Dear Wolf. This human was bringing a fate to you far different than what is planned. You will die at a later stage of your life. Not here, not now." Lamb said, reaching into Quinn's chest again. Her hand glowed as her fingers found the bullet lodged in Quinn's heart. Effortlessly, Lamb pulled it out from the Demacian. She showed Quinn the golden bullet before dropping it to the dirt.

"Thank you," Quinn said as she rubbed her bloody chest. She looked down at her hand, seeing the blood slowly fade away like it was never there.

"Do not thank us. We are merely doing what we were made for…" Lamb stated while reading her bow. Quinn watched her warily but remained still. Lamb's fingers caressed her silver-lilac arrow as she aligned it with her elderwood bow, pulling back an unseen string. Suddenly, there was a pained groaning from the darkness. The human looked over and spotted a dark figure aimlessly walking in circles. Her skin crawled as she recognized the spirit as the jogger that Jhin killed.

"What is that..."

"That is what happens to those whose fate has been altered. We are not there to lead—"

"Or chase!"

"Or chase them into the next world. He will be here for an eternity, not being able to find peace after death. That is why we have to stop the... boy… behind you," Lamb's usual soft tone became an ugly snarl when she looked down at Jhin. Her fingers let go of the arrow, sending it flying towards the ghoulish figure. It seemed to phase right through it, surprising Quinn. "There are many like these wandering between your world and ours."

"So those who are murdered can't cross on?" The Demacian suddenly felt cold, remembering the sound of shattered glass and ambulance sirens. "What about accidents? Like a car crash?"

"It was your twin's fate that he died that way. Do not worry— he as at peace in the world beyond this one." Lamb reassured her. She walked over to the shaking human, grasping her hand softly. "He died so you could live." The glow under her mask darkened as if she blinked. The haunting lavender orbs gestured behind her, "Your his fate as well. We've seen it. That moment you stopped us from taking him, his death shifted further and further back."

"Talon was supposed to die?" Quinn's fears were suddenly realized. Was Kindred going to take Talon in her place? Was Talon the one who was supposed to be shot by Jhin? The Demacian didn't want to know but she continued to listen to Lamb. The kinder half of death's eyes looked back at her again.

"He was intended to die on different occasions but you were always there to intervene," Lamb's hand rested on Quinn's forehead. "That day he was dangerously ill, you nursed him back to health. That other time he was in a rage, trying to drive, he should have drove off the hillside." Lamb's fingers lightly glowed as she tried to peer inside Quinn's mind. She focused on the human, "There is something peculiar about you."

"She's seen us before!" Wolf howled behind his counterpart. "In the forest! I remember because I was chasing that thief!"

"That is true, Dear Wolf. Not most mortals can see us. Perhaps you can because you have witnessed what we do first hand. Your brother, all those years ago, that must be it." Lamb whispered to herself, "What does The Man think he's doing?"

"The Man?" Quinn asked.

"The one who made us!" Wolf barked.

"Yes, he used to be just like us— able to shift between realms. He was once life and death itself but those who knew him shunned him for taking the life he would give. He made us to take his place," Lamb explained, taking her hand from Quinn's forehead. "This is our purpose and we must finish this job before you're left here too long."

"Too long?"

"It was nice to see you again, human." Lamb said as she waved her hands in a mystical motion. The tips of her fingers began to glow a faint white, the light growing up her arms. "We are not supposed to interfere with the lives of humans but... you… I've grown quite fond of."

"Wait! Lamb, I still have ques—!"

"Goodbye, friend. Hopefully, you don't see us until you're time comes… decades from now."

Kindred joined together to heal the wound on Quinn's chest. When they disappeared after going through her body, the Demacian gasped. She felt her soft chest— there was no bullet hole. There was an ominous humming coming from beneath the Demacian's feet. When she looked down she saw the golden circle start to grow brighter until it blinded her. Quinn shut her eyes from the light, hearing the humming cease when she did. Carefully peeking out, she saw her own world returned to normal.

"Quinn!" She heard Talon about behind her. When she turned, she witnessed Jhin still holding on to Talon. However, Kindred as right behind him. Lamb had her arrow pressed against his forehead. Wolf has his jaws locked around his arm that held Jhin's gun, blood slowly dripping off his elbow. The Ionian was still but he had a smirk across his face. Little chuckles escaped through his partially open lips.

He was caught.

"This is where your work stops, human." Lamb snarled. "Let the Noxian go… now."

Without question, Jhin released his arm from around Talon's throat. The long-haired teen scrambled to get away from the psychopath while gasping for air. Quinn dropped to her knees to comfort Talon on the dead grass. She caressed his face, pushing his hair behind his ears. He wrapped his arms around her waist while pushing his face into her shoulder.

"Quinn, I thought that—" He stopped. Talon glanced over at her, seeing her calm expression. His hand felt around on her chest, feeling nothing but her soft skin. The Noxian knew she was okay. He kissed her cheek.

They both looked back at the embodiment of death looming over Jhin. It was unsettling seen a being from fairytales be this ferocious, especially Lamb who was depicted to be the more calmer of the two. Wolf seemed to be fully enjoying having his teeth sinking into the Ionian's forearm. Little Lamb didn't release her tension on her bowstring while she glared down at Jhin. Her lavender eyes realized he was still holding his white gun.

"Drop it," she ordered. This time he was hesitant. Dropping his clean, gold accented gun in the dirt? Unlikely. Lamb growled, pressing the arrow's head into his cheek and sliced his skin. "I said drop it!"

One by one, Jhin's fingers released their hold on the handle. It seemed to pain Jhin seeing his beloved gun soiled and covered in dirt. Lamb's hoof kicked it far away from the Ionian, making his smirk disappear. It was quiet and Kindred held their ground like they were waiting for something.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" Jhin asked, a slight hopefulness in his voice. He turned to look at Lamb, "That is what you do, isn't it?"

"We don't mess with the fate of humans. If I could I would let my arrow go right through your head… but there is something else the Man has planned for you."

Sirens sounded as they came up the hill. Jhin's dual-colored eyes widened in fear as he saw them approaching, realizing his worst fear. He was going back to that white, padded room in Noxus. The Ionian shook his head.

"No! No! J-Just kill me!" He pleaded with Lamb.

"Like I said… we don't mess with the fates of humans." She said in her usual calm voice. Lamb began to fade into nothingness, "We shall see you again many years from now… in that room you dread so much."

"No!" Jhin said, attempting to tackle the spirit. However, Kindred was gone. He sat in the dirt, his hand clutching the air.

"Freeze! Stand up with your hands in the air!" One police man said as he got out of his cruiser. He aimed his loaded gun at the three teens. Quinn helped Talon to his feet, both of them holding their arms over their heads. However, the cop has his eyes right on Jhin. The Ionian still sat in the dirt. "Ionian, approximately nineteen to twenty-one? Yeah we have him. Your orders, captain? Understood."

The cop cautiously hopped out of his vehicle and made his way towards Jhin. Cautiously, he raised his gun at the dead-eyed teen. The office spotted the white gun just behind him and he kicked it a few inches away. With one hand, he reached for his handcuffs.

"Son, you have the right to remain silent," he began.

Quinn and Talon watched the wary officer lock Jhin's hands together while speaking his rights to him. Jhin was unresponsive— almost in a half-dead state. His blank gaze looked up at the officer as he pulled the teen to his feet.

As the cop reached to pick up Jhin's gun behind him, the Ionian swiftly kicked him in the gut. Gasping and heaving for air, the officer dropped to the dirt. Jhin bolted off into the open clearing towards the road but the cop reached for his stun gun. With a swift motion, it's electrical wires found themselves in the lower back of Jhin. With a loud groan, he fell.

"Boy, that was mighty stupid of you!" The pissed off police man growled, yanking Jhin's forearm.

This time not letting himself be pulled to his feet, Jhin remained lying down in the dirt. Fed up with his antics, the office just dragged him towards his cruiser. He dropped him by the closer door and turned to the other teens in the clearing.

"If you two would come to the station for some questions, that would be helpful." He said, tipping his hat. The cop lifted Jhin by the metal cuffs locked around his wrists. Roughly, he slammed the door behind the teen after throwing him inside. Quinn could see Jhin sitting and looking out the back window. He glared at her and Talon when the car started. His hands pressed up against the glass, his body swaying as the cruiser began to move.

As the police cruiser sped off with Jhin locked in the backseat, Ekko waited for the cop to be out of sight before driving into the open lot. He abruptly stopped when he saw an unconscious Jinx in Quinn's lap. The younger teen ran over to her, his knees sliding in the dead grass. His shaky hands hovered over her shoulders.

"Jinx? Is she—" He choaked. Ekko's brown eyes looked at Quinn.

"She's alive," The Demacian said, stroking her friend's long blue bangs away from her pale face. Her makeup was smeared and she had debris in her long braids but she was breathing. Quinn carefully lifted the smaller girl's shoulders and laid her in Ekko's lap.

Quinn watched him hesitate touching her tiny frame. However, he kept his eyes locked on hers— hoping for them to open. Ekko shook her slightly, wanting to wake her.

"Jinx?" He whispered to her, making her eyes shut tighter. One smokey-eye opened slightly, closing again when she saw the sunlight, and she threw her forearm over her eyes. Ekko smiled now that she was finally moving. He glanced up at Quinn, his expression a mix of relief and excitement. "Jinx, it's me. Are you okay?"

"Ten more minutes, mom." She grumbled. Jinx turned to her side, grunting when she hit the grass. The tiny girl shot up, her fingers touching the ground is disbelief. Jinx gasped, "Wait… what happened." She flipped around and saw a dirt-covered Talon and Quinn with a large hole on the chest of her shirt. Both looked like hell but seemed very calm. "Where's Jhin?"

"Going to a place where they could hopefully help him," Quinn answered.

"Oh… good." Jinx sighed. She groaned and grabbed the sides of her head, "Man, I have a gnarly headache."

"You probably need something to eat," Ekko said behind her. He grabbed her shoulder. Jinx slightly turned, seeing her old friend. A smile grew over her dark-purple lips. Ekko seemed to blush under his white face paint and he coughed to cover that, "I-I can take you to McDoran's for a burger. If you're okay with that?"

"Sure!" Jinx grinned wider, "Let's go, Ekko!" She hopped up and snatched Ekko's wrist. Jinx began to trot down the hill with her friend right behind her. He looked back at the other teens behind him, his face stunned. The realization of the girl he's loved for so long is finally seeing his worth suddenly hit him. Even after all of this, she accepted him. Quinn gave him a thumbs up before they were both out of sight.

"She actually got his name right," Talon stated, somewhat impressed. He felt Quinn rest against his shoulder— she was obviously exhausted. The Noxian wrapped one arm around her with her following his action the same. "What was it like? Dying, I mean."

"I wasn't fully dead. Kindred made sure of that. I was in the realm between ours and the afterlife. It was dark, cold, and I never want to go back." Quinn shuddered, remembering the lost souls wander in the emptiness. Lamb told me things—things I'll never forget."

Quinn was quiet for a moment. She glanced up at her beloved boyfriend, seeing his messy hair and torn sweater. She fingered the undone stitching in his hood, an easy fix. The Demacian noticed his nose bleeding and she felt sudden despair wash over her. She dropped to her knees, feeling Talon hold onto her hands as she fell.

"Quinn what's wrong?" He asked.

"Lamb explained to me that humans have a set fate of when they are supposed to die. Mine wasn't dying to Jhin, so she corrected it. She also told me that… fate can change depending on circumstances," Quinn saw the visions of Talon in Caleb's place all those years ago. She rubbed her forehead, her pain manifesting into a headache. "Lamb said you were supposed to die."

"What do you mean? Did she tell you how?" Talon's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Here with Jhin… that week you were horribly sick… and the evening before Snowdown. Lamb said you drove off the hillside when you stormed off in a rage," Quinn's grip on his hand was strong, trying to fight off her emotions. She gave a week smile, "She said whenever I was around, your death was pushed back further and further."

"Quinn… I," Talon started. He looked over at her in disbelief. A part of him knew he was destined to be with Quinn but this eye opening. He pulled her into a firm embrace. Talon whispered, "I promise to protect you like you do for me."

"I love you, Talon."

"I love you too."

* * *

Talon laid in Quinn's bed with her sleeping by her side. The dorm room was dark and quiet, just how he liked it. Lux was with Darius again— she didn't speak to them after she helped them with Jhin a few days ago. That didn't matter now, Jhin was where he belonged thanks to her assistance.

There was an update from Ekko and his new girlfriend, Jinx. He claims they're inseparable and she waits for him outside of his class if she's off. The boy said it wasn't annoying and it's what he's been dreaming for since they were both younger. It was like a fairytale. Ekko was the knight who conquered the dragon to save his princess.

One arm was wrapped around his beautiful girlfriend while she was stretched all over him. He could feel her messy, short hair tickling him underneath his chin. The Noxian pulled her closer, noticing her stir a bit in her sleep. He ceased his movement until she was resting again. Talon wondered what time it was.

With sleepiness making his arms feel like jelly, he felt around underneath the sheets for his phone. He found it just beside his thigh and the bright screen flashed in his face when he lifted it up. The time read about four in the morning.

Poor Talon was restless.

What Quinn told him kept him from sleeping well or even at all. She offered for him to sleep with her while Lux was away. Maybe having her there was comfort him— but it hardly did. Talon wasn't afraid of death and he knew he had to face it one day. However, now he was more aware of his own mortality. The bright lift awoke Quinn and he felt her move. She stretched and yawned, covering her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked in her groggy voice.

"It's still super early, go to sleep." Talon replied. Quinn peeked out of one eye, her hair sticking up in different directions.

"Have you slept at all?"

"For an hour, maybe?" He thought back. It probably wasn't correct but he remembered closing his eyes and seeing surreal, unexplainable visions in his head.

His short dream consisted of his father and him standing in their mansion only it looked old like it had been centuries before. There was no computer on Marcus' desk, only a quill and ink next to yellow parchment. His father was dressed in black leather while Talon had a violet jumpsuit and a bladed cloak. What struck him mostly was the giant blade attached to his forearm. His father was speaking to him but he couldn't make out what he was saying. However, the Talon in his dream knew exactly what he said and he turned and walked off.

"That is a weird dream," Quinn yawned. "Sounds like he assigned his trained assassin on a mission." The girl smiled, snuggling up to her boyfriend.

"What do you think it means?"

"You probably miss your father," Quinn answered as she drifted into sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and shut again. "Maybe you should pay him a visit?"

"Road trip later?"

"Sure, get some rest first."

* * *

 _Notes: Hello again! Did you enjoy this chapter? Let me know with a PM or Review!_

 _I have a poll on my profile for a new story I'm writing! Please take a look for more information if you're interested in helping me write it :D_

 _See you next chapter!_


End file.
